Green Nanotechnology for Water Purification

Sustainable nanotechnologies are making a significant contribution toward providing clean water to humankind, and nanomaterials are used to substantially improve the quality of polluted water by reducing the contamination levels. The current global environmental challenges are prompting governments worldwide to adopt clean and sustainable technologies for treating water to meet the clean drinking water requirements of their populations. In this chapter, technological solutions are presented for overcoming the issues surrounding water scarcity, with a particular focus on the discussion pertaining to nanoadsorbents developed from sustainable materials, such as cellulose and carbon-based precursors, which exhibit the unique properties of high surface area, high reactivity, high sorption capacity, and tunable active sites. Nanotechnology methods being established for treating wastewater based on adsorption, such as nanofiltration, photocatalysis, and disinfection, are reviewed. Furthermore, the ongoing development in the use of desalination technology employing sustainable solar power toward environmental remediation applications is presented.