Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia; Department of Geological Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia.
Sci Total Environ. 2018 Jan 15;612:561-581. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.08.132. Epub 2017 Sep 1.
The search for effective materials for environmental cleanup is a scientific and technological issue of paramount importance. Among various materials, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) possess unique physicochemical, electrical, and mechanical properties that make them suitable for potential applications as environmental adsorbents, sensors, membranes, and catalysts. Depending on the intended application and the chemical nature of the target contaminants, CNTs can be designed through specific functionalization or modification processes. Designer CNTs can remarkably enhance contaminant removal efficiency and facilitate nanomaterial recovery and regeneration. An increasing number of CNT-based materials have been used to treat diverse organic, inorganic, and biological contaminants. These success stories demonstrate their strong potential in practical applications, including wastewater purification and desalination. However, CNT-based technologies have not been broadly accepted for commercial use due to their prohibitive cost and the complex interactions of CNTs with other abiotic and biotic environmental components. This paper presents a critical review of the existing literature on the interaction of various contaminants with CNTs in water and soil environments. The preparation methods of various designer CNTs (surface functionalized and/or modified) and the functional relationships between their physicochemical characteristics and environmental uses are discussed. This review will also help to identify the research gaps that must be addressed for enhancing the commercial acceptance of CNTs in the environmental remediation industry.
寻找有效的环境清理材料是一个至关重要的科学和技术问题。在各种材料中，碳纳米管（CNTs）具有独特的物理化学、电学和力学性能，使其适合作为环境吸附剂、传感器、膜和催化剂的潜在应用。根据预期的应用和目标污染物的化学性质，可以通过特定的功能化或修饰过程来设计 CNTs。设计 CNTs 可以显著提高污染物去除效率，并有助于纳米材料的回收和再生。越来越多的基于 CNT 的材料已被用于处理各种有机、无机和生物污染物。这些成功案例表明它们在实际应用中具有很强的潜力，包括废水净化和海水淡化。然而，由于 CNT 成本高昂，以及 CNT 与其他非生物和生物环境成分的复杂相互作用，基于 CNT 的技术尚未被广泛接受用于商业用途。本文对水和土壤环境中各种污染物与 CNT 相互作用的现有文献进行了批判性回顾。讨论了各种设计 CNTs（表面功能化和/或修饰）的制备方法，以及它们的物理化学特性与环境用途之间的功能关系。这篇综述还将有助于确定必须解决的研究空白，以提高 CNT 在环境修复行业的商业接受度。
