ABSTRACT
In recent decades carbon-based nanomaterials (CBN) have become one of the main adsorbent materials aiming at water purification. This chapter deals with the recent applications of carbon nanotubes, graphene derivatives, nanoporous carbon, nanodiamonds, fullerenes, carbon nitride and their composites to metal ions and organic pollutants, such as dyes, surfactants, drugs and pesticides polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons removal by adsorption processes. Due to environmental reasons related to easy transportation and toxicity of the CBN, the development of new methodologies to immobilize these adsorbents onto solid supports, such as beads, aero or hydrogels or magnetic nanoparticles have been useful strategies to improve batch adsorption. Furthermore, the generation of nanocomposites enables the modulation of the three-dimensional arrangement of the adsorbent, as well as the selectivity of interactions, between the adsorbent-adsorbate. In relation to continuous-flow adsorption, fixed-bed columns or nanomembranes for filtration have been used for CBN immobilization. In addition, several strategies for pollutant desorption and CBN reuses in consecutive adsorption cycles are presented. Moreover, the toxicological effects of these nanomaterials on human health and the environment are discussed.
