An introductory review on advanced multifunctional materials.

This review summarizes the applications of some of the advanced materials. It included the synthesis of several nanoparticles such as metal oxide nanoparticles (e.g., FeO, ZnO, ZrOSO, MoO, CuO, AgFeO, CoO, CeO, SiO, and CuFeO); metal hydroxide nanosheets (e.g., Zn(OH)(NO)·2HO, Zn(OH)(NO)·HO, and Zn(OH)(NO)); metallic nanoparticles (Ag, Au, Pd, and Pt); carbon-based nanomaterials (graphene, graphene oxide (GO), graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN), and carbon dots (CDs)); biopolymers (cellulose, nanocellulose, TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers (TOCNFs), and chitosan); organic polymers (e.g. covalent-organic frameworks (COFs)); and hybrid materials (e.g. metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)). Most of these materials were applied in several fields such as environmental-based technologies (e.g., water remediation, air purification, gas storage), energy (production of hydrogen, dimethyl ether, solar cells, and supercapacitors), and biomedical sectors (sensing, biosensing, cancer therapy, and drug delivery). They can be used as efficient adsorbents and catalysts to remove emerging contaminants e.g., inorganic (i.e., heavy metals) and organic (e.g., dyes, antibiotics, pesticides, and oils in water via adsorption. They can be also used as catalysts for catalytic degradation reactions such as redox reactions of pollutants. They can be used as filters for air purification by capturing carbon dioxide (CO) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). They can be used for hydrogen production via water splitting, alcohol oxidation, and hydrolysis of NaBH. Nanomedicine for some of these materials was also included being an effective agent as an antibacterial, nanocarrier for drug delivery, and probe for biosensing.