Development of 2D Nanomaterials-Based Sensors for Detection of Toxic Environmental Pollutants

Abstract

The global environmental pollution crisis is an ever-increasing issue due to human-induced factors such as urbanization and industrialization. Toxic environmental pollutants such as pesticides, dyes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heavy metals, etc., threaten human health and the environment. Therefore, the development of rapid, affordable, selective, and sensitive sensing platforms for determining toxic environmental pollutants is a significant necessity. Today, many methods with the features to overcome the disadvantages of traditional sensors are being developed. Among these, electrochemical sensors stand out with features, such as short analysis time, high sensitivity, versatility, miniaturization, and low cost. Due to their unique chemical and physical characteristics, two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials, such as graphene and its derivatives, transition metal oxides, graphitic carbon nitride, and metal dichalcogenides, are widely used to improve electrochemical sensors performance thanks to their high surface area, porosity, and catalytic effects. In this chapter, the determination of the most important toxic environmental pollutants in various environmental samples with 2D nanomaterials-based optical and electrochemical sensors are overviewed, covering the years between 2016 and 2022.