The Potential Applications of 2D Nanomaterials for Water Purification

Summary

In recent years, the scarcity of water has become a complicated challenge owing to the increase in global population, climate change, and economic expansion, thereby emphasizing the requirement for developing advanced technologies for water treatment that can offer clean purified water in an affordable, sustainable, scalable, and reliable manner. The present advancements in 2D‐nanomaterials (2DM) provide a contemporary pathway for acknowledging the foremost challenges in treating water because of their distinctively superior structural properties. Surging 2‐D nanostructures like MXene, g‐C₃N₄, black phosphorus, graphene, and h‐BN have considerably predicted an extraordinary surface‐to‐volume ratio, which ensures ultrafast processing time, ultrahigh treatment efficiency, and ultralow material use for the water purification process. In this review, we have discussed the progressive development of 2D nanomaterials to successfully carry out water purification involving adsorption, separation, or photocatalysis. Elementary strategies to design 2DM with a significant emphasis on physicochemical factors for efficient water purification have also been enlisted. The analysis of different 2DM‐based functional membranes, such as filtration and solar desalination membranes, has also been conducted. Moreover, the vital role of 2DM in water purification was noted. 2DM exhibits considerable antiparasitic and antimicrobial activities against waterborne pathogens of main concern, such as Entamoeba histolytica, Shigella dysenteriae, and Vibrio cholera. In addition, 2DM can absorb noxious chemicals, dyes, and metals from water. The review also elaborates on the structure‐processing‐property relationship in 2DM, with the aim of fabricating next‐generation 2DM units with intelligent, programmable, multifunctional, and selective water purification technologies. However, some bottlenecks such as adverse effects of 2DM on the environment and human health, seepage of 2DM in drinking water, and aggregation of nanoparticles need to be adequately addressed. The importance of purified clean water across the globe for future generations imparts light and inspiration for the development of affordable and efficient 2DM units to ensure a secure supply of clean water in the growing world.