Chapter 2 - Low-dimensional nanomaterials: Syntheses, physicochemical properties, and their role in wastewater treatment

Abstract

Nanomaterials are chemical substances or materials produced and used with one or more external dimensions, or an internal structure, on a scale from 1 to 100nm. Nanomaterials can be found everywhere in nature such as volcanic ash, ocean spray, fine sand and dust, and even biological matter (e.g., viruses), whereas laboratory experiments involve the synthesis of nanomaterials with well-defined and controlled sizes and shapes. The development and use of novel nanomaterials for environmental protection, and water treatment in particular, has received widespread attention in recent years in view of their larger surface area-to-volume ratio and smaller particle size. One of the criteria for categorizing nanoparticles is their shape and the number of nanoscale dimensions. Here, a comprehensive systematic review of developments, classification, trends, and advances over the past three decades in research on low-dimensional, zero-dimensional, one-dimensional, and two-dimensional nanomaterials is given. In this chapter, we give our perspective on the current status on the nanostructured materials, reported syntheses and processes of fabrication, physicochemical properties originating from their morphology and geometrical specifications, along with their applications in wastewater treatment.