The Application of Nanomaterials in Heavy Metal Detection and Removal

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanoelectronics, Nanosensors and Devices".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 September 2023) | Viewed by 12033

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Meteorology, Environment and Arid Land Agriculture, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
Interests: environmental science; wastewater purification; material synthesis and characterization; photocatalysis; adsorption; organic and inorganic pollutants; kinetics; thermodynamic; isotherms
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E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Meteorology, Environment and Arid Land Agriculture, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
Interests: industrial waste treatment; nanotechnology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Wastewater has become more complex due to the existence of multiple pollutants. Therefore, detecting, identifying, and removing particular contaminants, such as heavy metals, in complex wastewater is challenging. Nanomaterials have been widely explored as a method to detect and eliminate heavy metals due to their small size and large surface area. Recently, tailored nanomaterials have shown great potential in the scavenging of heavy metals due to their selective adsorption properties for heavy metals. The present Special Issue will focus on comprehensive research outlining progress on the synthesis and application of nanomaterials in detecting and removing heavy metals from wastewaters. In the current Special Issue, we invite researchers from academics and industries to contribute original research articles and review articles covering the synthesis and application of novel nanomaterials to detect and remove heavy metals from wastewater. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Advanced hybrid nanomaterials for heavy metal removal;
  • Nanomaterials for the detection of heavy metals;
  • Advanced modeling for heavy metal adsorption;
  • Reduction of heavy metals using nanomaterials;
  • Nanomaterials embedded in thin films and membranes for the detection and removal of the heavy metals;
  • Simulation and optimization of nanomaterials application for heavy metals detection and removal.

Dr. Rajeev Kumar
Prof. Dr. M. A. Barakat
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • nanomaterials
  • wastewater purification
  • heavy metal sensing
  • mathematical modeling
  • kinetics
  • adsorption
  • catalysis

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 43750 KiB  
Article
Efficient Removal of Congo Red, Methylene Blue and Pb(II) by Hydrochar–MgAlLDH Nanocomposite: Synthesis, Performance and Mechanism
by Yang Huang, Wei Yin, Tian-Lei Zhao, Meng Liu, Qi-Zhi Yao and Gen-Tao Zhou
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(7), 1145; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13071145 - 23 Mar 2023
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1568
Abstract
Organic dyes and heavy metals often coexist in industrial effluents, and their simultaneous removal is a grand challenge. Herein, a hydrochar and MgAl layered double hydroxide (HC–MgAlLDH) nanocomposite was prepared via a facile one-step hydrothermal route, and applied to remove anionic Congo red [...] Read more.
Organic dyes and heavy metals often coexist in industrial effluents, and their simultaneous removal is a grand challenge. Herein, a hydrochar and MgAl layered double hydroxide (HC–MgAlLDH) nanocomposite was prepared via a facile one-step hydrothermal route, and applied to remove anionic Congo red (CR), cationic Methylene blue (MB) and Pb(II) from aqueous solutions. The nanocomposite was formed by interweaving amorphous HC and crystalline MgAlLDH nanoplates and possessed more functional groups, lower zeta potential and larger specific surface area than uncomposited MgAlLDH. Batch removal experiments showed that the components HC and LDH dominated the CR and MB removals, respectively, whereas Pb(II) removal was conjointly controlled by the two components. The maximum Langmuir removal capacities of the nanocomposite to sole CR, MB, or Pb(II) were 348.78, 256.54 or 33.55 mg/g. In binary and ternary systems, the removal capacities of CR and MB only slightly decreased, while the capacity of Pb(II) increased by 41.13–88.61%. The increase was related to the coordination of Pb(II) with the sulfur-containing groups in dyes and the precipitation of PbSO4. Therefore, the simultaneous removal of CR, MB and Pb(II) was involved in a synergistic effect, including electrostatic adsorption, π–π interaction, coordination and precipitation. The present work shows that the HC–MgAlLDH nanocomposite has great potential for wastewater integrative treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Application of Nanomaterials in Heavy Metal Detection and Removal)
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21 pages, 6662 KiB  
Article
Removal of Lead from Wastewater Using Synthesized Polyethyleneimine-Grafted Graphene Oxide
by Mohammed Al-Yaari and Tawfik A. Saleh
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(6), 1078; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13061078 - 16 Mar 2023
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 1969
Abstract
In this work, polyethyleneimine-grafted graphene oxide (PEI/GO) is synthesized using graphene, polyethyleneimine, and trimesoyl chloride. Both graphene oxide and PEI/GO are characterized by a Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer, a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. Characterization results confirm that polyethyleneimine [...] Read more.
In this work, polyethyleneimine-grafted graphene oxide (PEI/GO) is synthesized using graphene, polyethyleneimine, and trimesoyl chloride. Both graphene oxide and PEI/GO are characterized by a Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer, a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. Characterization results confirm that polyethyleneimine is uniformly grafted on the graphene oxide nanosheets and, thus, also confirm the successful synthesis of PEI/GO. PEI/GO adsorbent is then evaluated for the removal of lead (Pb2+) from aqueous solutions, and the optimum adsorption is attained at pH 6, contact time of 120 min, and PEI/GO dose of 0.1 g. While chemosorption is dominating at low Pb2+ concentrations, physisorption is dominating at high concentrations and the adsorption rate is controlled by the boundary-layer diffusion step. In addition, the isotherm study confirms the strong interaction between Pb2+ ions and PEI/GO and reveals that the adsorption process obeys well the Freundlich isotherm model (R2 = 0.9932) and the maximum adsorption capacity (qm) is 64.94 mg/g, which is quite high compared to some of the reported adsorbents. Furthermore, the thermodynamic study confirms the spontaneity (negative ΔG° and positive ΔS°) and the endothermic nature (ΔH° = 19.73 kJ/mol) of the adsorption process. The prepared adsorbent (PEI/GO) offers a potential promise for wastewater treatment because of its fast and high uptake removal capacity and could be used as an effective adsorbent for the removal of Pb2+-ions and other heavy metals from industrial wastewater. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Application of Nanomaterials in Heavy Metal Detection and Removal)
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16 pages, 3358 KiB  
Article
Facile Synthesis of the Polyaniline@Waste Cellulosic Nanocomposite for the Efficient Decontamination of Copper(II) and Phenol from Wastewater
by Ahmed N. Doyo, Rajeev Kumar and Mohamed A. Barakat
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(6), 1014; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13061014 - 11 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1767
Abstract
The existence of heavy metals and organic pollutants in wastewater is a threat to the ecosystem and a challenge for researchers to remove using common technology. Herein, a facile one-step in situ oxidative polymerization synthesis method has been used to fabricate polyaniline@waste cellulosic [...] Read more.
The existence of heavy metals and organic pollutants in wastewater is a threat to the ecosystem and a challenge for researchers to remove using common technology. Herein, a facile one-step in situ oxidative polymerization synthesis method has been used to fabricate polyaniline@waste cellulosic nanocomposite adsornt, polyaniline-embedded waste tissue paper (PANI@WTP) to remove copper(II) and phenol from the aqueous solution. The structural and surface properties of the synthesized materials were examined by XRD, FTIR, TEM, and a zeta potential analyzer. The scavenging of the Cu(II) and phenol onto the prepared materials was investigated as a function of interaction time, pollutant concentration, and solution pH. Advanced kinetics and isotherms modeling is used to explore the Cu(II) ion and phenol adsorption mechanisms. The synthesized PANI@WTP adsorbent showed a high intake capacity for Cu(II) than phenol, with the maximum calculated adsorption capacity of 605.20 and 501.23 mg g−1, respectively. The Langmuir equilibrium isotherm model is well-fitted for Cu(II) and phenol adsorption onto the PANI@WTP. The superior scavenging capability of the PANI@WTP for Cu(II) and phenol could be explained based on the host–guest interaction forces and large active sites. Moreover, the efficiency of the PANI@WTP for Cu(II) and phenol scavenging was excellent even after the five cycles of regeneration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Application of Nanomaterials in Heavy Metal Detection and Removal)
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16 pages, 5375 KiB  
Article
Effective Thallium(I) Removal by Nanocellulose Bioadsorbent Prepared by Nitro-Oxidation of Sorghum Stalks
by Hui Chen, Priyanka R. Sharma, Sunil K. Sharma, Abdulrahman G. Alhamzani and Benjamin S. Hsiao
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(23), 4156; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12234156 - 24 Nov 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1872
Abstract
Thallium(I) (Tl(I)) pollution has become a pressing environmental issue due to its harmful effect on human health and aquatic life. Effective technology to remove Tl(I) ions from drinking water can offer immediate societal benefits especially in the developing countries. In this study, a [...] Read more.
Thallium(I) (Tl(I)) pollution has become a pressing environmental issue due to its harmful effect on human health and aquatic life. Effective technology to remove Tl(I) ions from drinking water can offer immediate societal benefits especially in the developing countries. In this study, a bio-adsorbent system based on nitro-oxidized nanocellulose (NOCNF) extracted from sorghum stalks was shown to be a highly effective Tl(I) removal medium. The nitro-oxidation process (NOP) is an energy-efficient, zero-waste approach that can extract nanocellulose from any lignocellulosic feedstock, where the effluent can be neutralized directly into a fertilizer without the need for post-treatment. The demonstrated NOCNF adsorbent exhibited high Tl(I) removal efficiency (>90% at concentration < 500 ppm) and high maximum removal capacity (Qm = 1898 mg/g using the Langmuir model). The Tl(I) adsorption mechanism by NOCNF was investigated by thorough characterization of NOCNF-Tl floc samples using spectroscopic (FTIR), diffraction (WAXD), microscopic (SEM, TEM, and AFM) and zeta-potential techniques. The results indicate that adsorption occurs mainly due to electrostatic attraction between cationic Tl(I) ions and anionic carboxylate groups on NOCNF, where the adsorbed Tl(I) sites become nuclei for the growth of thallium oxide nanocrystals at high Tl(I) concentrations. The mineralization process enhances the Tl(I) removal efficiency, and the mechanism is consistent with the isotherm data analysis using the Freundlich model. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Application of Nanomaterials in Heavy Metal Detection and Removal)
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15 pages, 2943 KiB  
Article
Fabrication of Polyaniline/Graphene Oxide Nanosheet@ Tea Waste Granules Adsorbent for Groundwater Purification
by Misfer Al Hawash, Rajeev Kumar and Mohamed A. Barakat
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(21), 3840; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12213840 - 31 Oct 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1771
Abstract
The reuse and separation of nanomaterials from an aquatic solution is always challenging and may cause nanotoxicity if not separated completely. Nanomaterial immobilization on the surface of a macro-size material could be an effective approach to developing an efficient composite for groundwater purification. [...] Read more.
The reuse and separation of nanomaterials from an aquatic solution is always challenging and may cause nanotoxicity if not separated completely. Nanomaterial immobilization on the surface of a macro-size material could be an effective approach to developing an efficient composite for groundwater purification. Herein, polyaniline and graphene oxide nanosheet immobilized granular tea waste (PANI/GO@GTW) has been synthesized to remove the anionic and cationic contaminants from groundwater. The synthesized materials were characterized by SEM, XRD, XPS, and FTIR spectroscopies. The optimization of experimental conditions was tested for bromide (Br) removal from synthetic water. The results revealed that Br adsorption behavior onto the synthesized materials was as follows: PANI/GO < PANI/GTW < PANI < PANI/GO@GTW. The optimum removal of Br ions was observed at pH 3 with 90 min of saturation time. Br adsorption onto PANI/GO@GTW followed the pseudo-first-order kinetic and Langmuir isotherm model, and electrostatic interaction was involved in the adsorption process. The optimum adsorption of Br onto PANI/GO@GTW was found to be 26.80 m/g. The application of PANI/GO@GTW on real groundwater treatment demonstrated the effective removal of anion pollutants such as F, Cl, Br, NO3, and PO43. This study revealed that PANI/GO@GTW successfully reduced Br concentrations in synthetic and real groundwater and can be used for large-scale applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Application of Nanomaterials in Heavy Metal Detection and Removal)
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Review

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25 pages, 748 KiB  
Review
Natural and Engineered Nanomaterials for the Identification of Heavy Metal Ions—A Review
by Joseph Merillyn Vonnie, Bong Jing Ting, Kobun Rovina, Nasir Md Nur’ Aqilah, Koh Wee Yin and Nurul Huda
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(15), 2665; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12152665 - 3 Aug 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2187
Abstract
In recent years, there has been much interest in developing advanced and innovative approaches for sensing applications in various fields, including agriculture and environmental remediation. The development of novel sensors for detecting heavy metals using nanomaterials has emerged as a rapidly developing research [...] Read more.
In recent years, there has been much interest in developing advanced and innovative approaches for sensing applications in various fields, including agriculture and environmental remediation. The development of novel sensors for detecting heavy metals using nanomaterials has emerged as a rapidly developing research area due to its high availability and sustainability. This review emphasized the naturally derived and engineered nanomaterials that have the potential to be applied as sensing reagents to interact with metal ions or as reducing and stabilizing agents to synthesize metallic nanoparticles for the detection of heavy metal ions. This review also focused on the recent advancement of nanotechnology-based detection methods using naturally derived and engineered materials, with a summary of their sensitivity and selectivity towards heavy metals. This review paper covers the pros and cons of sensing applications with recent research published from 2015 to 2022. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Application of Nanomaterials in Heavy Metal Detection and Removal)
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