Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
14
Carbon nanomaterials as adsorbents
for environmental analysis
Chaudhery Mustansar Hussain
Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, USA
14.1
introduCtion
Nanotechnology can be defined as the science and engineering involved in the design, synthesis, characterization and application,
organization, and devices of nanomaterials. In the past few years, nanotechnology has grown by leaps and bounds, and this
multidisciplinary scientific field is undergoing explosive development. It can prove to be a boon for human health care because
of the huge potential benefits in areas as diverse as drug development, water decontamination, information and communication
technologies, and the production of stronger, lighter materials. A complete list of the potential applications of nanotechnology
is too vast and diverse to discuss in detail, but without doubt, one of the greatest contributions of nanotechnology is in the
development of analytical sciences [1, 2].
Nanomaterials, with bodily structures less than 100 nm in one or more dimensions, have attracted significant attention from
scientists in recent years, mainly due to their unique, attractive, thermal, mechanical, electronic, and biological properties. Their
high surface to volume ratio, the possibility of surface functionalization, and favorable thermal features provide the flexibility
needed for a broad range of analytical applications. The physicochemical properties of nanomaterials can be controlled through
structural design, incorporation of suitable components, or modification of their surfaces [3]. Widespread applicability and out-
standing performance of nanomaterials have not only accelerated the development of materials science, but also provided many
opportunities in related disciplines. Research on application of nanomaterials in analytical chemistry has also experienced
impressive growth in terms of the number of papers published in scientific literature. This chapter highlights the most important
recent advances in the use of carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) for environmental analysis. Finally, an outlook in which challenges
and opportunities are identified is given.
14.2
Cnms for environmental analysis
Environmental analysis is the use of analytical chemistry techniques to measure and detect pollutants in the environment.
It involves the determination of natural and harmful concentrations of chemical constituents in the environment. CNMs are
increasingly being considered one of the most promising materials for future applications. They can be combined with other
types of nanomaterials to form nanocomposites, thus incorporating different properties in a single new material. Moreover, their
unique electrical, optical, and mechanical properties make them useful for developing the next generation of miniaturized, low-
power, ubiquitous sensors. Additionally, CNMs can be used as nanoadsorbents for liquid- as well as gas-phase adsorption of
environmental pollutants because of their special nano-scale adsorbent properties [4, 5]. Therefore, CNMs are poised to over-
take other well-established adsorbent materials; however, their commercial exploitation is still a long way off. Among the
