Chapter 10 - Carbon nanomaterial-based sensors: An efficient tool in the environmental sectors

Abstract

For the last two decades, environmental pollution has been an alarming issue for the scientific community. The majority of researchers are working on this issue in order to control the magnitude of pollution by proposing suitable techniques using advanced materials. In order to combat pollution, initially we have to estimate the extent of pollution with respect to specific pollutants. This can be done using diverse analytical techniques available, like electrochemical, optical, and instrumental based. In order to enhance the selectivity and sensitivity of analytical techniques, nanomaterials have been explored extensively. Among the diverse nanomaterials available, carbon nanomaterials have been used extensively as sensing materials in various analytical techniques. This may be due to their diverse structural features and array of interesting electrical, optical and magnetic properties. Furthermore, their incomparable chemistry with other elements, ease of their surface modification, simple synthetic procedures, natural abundance, and cost-effectiveness make them as favorite materials for researchers and environmental chemists to use as sensor substrates. Among various structured carbon nanomaterials, nanotubes, graphene, and quantum dots have been explored as sensor materials in both electrochemical and optical techniques. In this report, we are aimed at synthesis and development of optical and analytical protocols based on recent nanostructured carbon materials used for environmental sensor applications.