Chapter 11 - Recent advances in environmental nanotechnology

Abstract

The rapidly growing population has retarded the environmental quality resulting in air, water, and land pollution, increasing the demand for energy and materials. Therefore, there is a need for alternative methods or materials to clean the environment. Researchers have turned to various technologies such as adsorption, absorption, filtration/separation, and catalysis to meet future energy needs and reduce environmental pollution. Nanotechnology is a multidisciplinary field offering cutting-edge technology-based solutions to detect and remove environmental contaminants. The unique properties of nanomaterials, such as the high-surface area to volume ratio and high reactivity, alongside the recent advancement in the synthesis of novel tailored nanomaterials, pave the way for their extensive use in resolving environmental concerns. We seek to provide an overview of the use of nanotechnology for the remediation of the environment, particularly water and air.