Surface modification of one-dimensional Carbon Nanotubes: A review for the management of heavy metals in wastewater

Abstract

Abstract The quest for finding a suitable and robust material for environmental clean-up is a matter of prime concern. The application of an increasing number of Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) based materials in environmental pollution management and their success stories are indicative of their capability to be used in wastewater treatment. Due to the tunable surface chemistry of CNTs, a lot of recent developments have taken place to enhance their performance in water remediation. Novel CNT composites have been synthesized by modification of surface groups of CNTs. Comprehensive documentation of their synthesis, as well as environmental applications, is much needed to promote their use on a larger scale. This paper is an extensive study of the recent literature on the application of novel CNT composites in the removal of heavy metals from wastewater and the effect of environmental chemistry on their performance. This paper aims at assisting readers in recognizing the loopholes in the applications of CNTs in real industries, which they might want to address.