Recent Advances in Functional Materials for Wastewater Treatment: From Materials to Technological Innovations

Abstract

The growing concerns about climate changes and environmental pollution have galvanized considerable research efforts in recent years to develop effective and innovative remediation technologies for contaminated soils and water caused by industrial and domestic activities. In this context, the establishment of effective treatment methods for wastewater has been critically important and urgent, since water pollution can take place on a very large scale (e.g., oceanic oil spills) and have massive impacts on ecosystems and human lives. Functional materials play a central role in the advancement of these technologies due to their highly tunable properties and functions. This article focuses on reviewing the recent progress in the application of various functional materials for wastewater treatment. Our literature survey is first concentrated on new modification methods and outcomes for a range of functional materials which have been actively investigated in recent years, including biofilm carriers, sand filters, biomass, biopolymers, and functional inorganic materials. Apart from the development of modified functional materials, our literature survey also covers the technological applications of superhydrophilic/superhydrophobic meshes, hybrid membranes, and reusable sponges in oil–water separation. These devices have gained significantly enhanced performance by using new functional materials as the key components (e.g., coating materials), and are therefore highly useful for treatment of oily wastewater, such as contaminated water collected from an oil spill site or oil–water emulsions resulting from industrial pollution. Based on our state-of-the-art literature review, future directions in the development and application of functional materials for wastewater treatment are suggested.

PSf Membrane-Impregnated Jute–Copper Nanocomposite as Highly Efficient Dye Removal Material

“…Moreover, polymeric nanocomposites can serve as excellent catalysts for the degradation of organic pollutants through processes, such as photocatalysis and advanced oxidation. Semiconductor nanoparticles like copper, TiO 2 , and zinc oxide (ZnO) are commonly used in polymeric nanocomposites, harnessing solar energy to initiate the degradation of organic compounds into harmless byproducts. , Furthermore, the incorporation of noble metal nanoparticles such as silver (Ag) or palladium (Pd) into polymeric nanocomposite matrices enhances catalytic activity and provides antimicrobial properties, making them effective in disinfection and removal of pathogens from wastewater.…”

Cellulose acetate superhydrophobic coatings for efficient oil–water separation using a combination of electrostatic spraying and chemical vapor deposition

“…The rapid rise of the petrochemical industry in recent decades has contributed to the industrial revolution and the progress of human society, 1 but it has also caused unimaginable damage to the environment on which we depend; one of the typical damages is industrial wastewater containing oil and oil compounds 2 . In order to minimize damage to the environment, physical methods are generally used to treat oily wastewater; the more common ones are gravity separation, 3 centrifugal separation, 4 flocculation, 5 and so on, although these methods also have disadvantages such as high operating costs, complex equipment, high energy consumption, and secondary pollution, which seriously limit their application in practice.…”

Degradation of Amido Black Dye Using Ultra-Violet Light Catalyzed by Iron Oxide Nanoparticles: Kinetics and Mechanism of Degradation

“…Wastewater containing inorganic and organic pollutants is predominately discharged from domestic, industrial, and public facilities and has deteriorated water quality in many parts of the world. Agricultural activities and manufacturing, mining, and processing industries release heavy metal ions, organic compounds, dyes, and other toxic pollutants regularly, thus contaminating groundwater and surface water [1]. Polluted water is unsafe for the ecosystem and human consumption.…”

“…Iron oxide is popular for catalysis due to its unique properties, such as excellent magnetic properties, extremely small size, high surface area-to-volume ratio, great biocompatibility, and surface modifiability [14]. According to many studies [1,10,15,16], the use of iron for water purification has several advantages in the presence of ultra-violet (UV) light, visible light, and in the absence of light.…”