Adsorbent materials for water treatment: A review of current trends and future challenges

Water scarcity and contamination are critical global concerns that require creative and sustainable water treatment solutions. This review paper summarizes and investigates the role of nanomaterials and nanocomposites in advancing water treatment technologies, highlighting their potential challenges and future directions. Carbon-based nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes, fullerenes, nanowires, graphene, and graphene oxide have received great attention because of their unique properties, such as high surface area, mechanical strength, and electrical conductivity. These materials showed remarkable efficiency in adsorbing various organic and inorganic contaminants, improving water purification and remediation processes. Moreover, polymer, metal oxide, and ceramic nanocomposites have superior mechanical, chemical, and thermal properties, making them ideal candidates for various water treatment applications. However, to fully utilize the potential of these nanomaterials in real-world applications, technological, environmental, and safety issues must be addressed. This review provides a comprehensive discussion about the materials used for water treatment technologies, offering valuable insights for researchers and engineers to assess these water-related issues and promote sustainability.