Graphenic Materials for Affordable Clean Water

Water purification is one of the major problems of the world as chemical and biological load on water bodies is increasing with time. Increased disposal of industrial, domestic and agricultural waste into water bodies and consequent pollution of water has become a major issue in the 21st century. Noble metal nanostructures are being studied recently in the context of environmental remediation especially for decontamination of drinking water. Since its discovery in 2004, graphene has attracted significant attention in various fields due to its unique physical and chemical properties. Molecular adsorption on graphene/graphene based composite and their applications in water purification have gained momentum recently. Special properties like large surface area, antibacterial nature, reduced cytotoxicity and tunable chemical properties make these materials attractive choices for this application. Attempts are also being made to synthesize graphene from sustainable sources in a cost effective manner. This enables the practical use of graphene for a large-scale application like water purification.