ABSTRACT
Because activated carbon nanostructures have a large specific surface area and porous and fine-layered structures, they have been considered as proficient adsorbents for different metal ions and for elimination of inorganic and organic molecules from polluted water and wastewater streams. The characteristic which governs their efficiency at low concentrations is micropore size distribution and, more specifically, the ratio between the diameter of the molecule to be eliminated and the micropore size of the adsorbent. On the other hand, at high adsorbate concentrations, the entire micropore system is involved in the adsorption process and the adsorption capacity is directly related to the total pore volume. Thus, because of the widely spread spectra of the types and concentrations of pollutants, which should be removed from the environment, designing adsorbents with specific micro- and mesopore volume and surface area is very important. This chapter attempts to highlight activated carbon nanoadsorbents bearing special pore structure and surface chemistry to emphasize the role of these features as a key factor affecting the adsorption process as a realistic method to sieve a diverse range of pollutant molecules.
