Smart materials are used to develop more cost-effective and high-performance water treatment systems as well as instant and continuous ways to monitor water quality. Smart materials in water research have been extensively utilized for the treatment, remediation, and pollution prevention. Smart materials can maintain the long term water quality, availability and viability of water resource. Thus, water via smart materials can be reused, recycled, desalinized and also it can detect the biological and chemical contamination whether the source is from municipal, industrial or man-made waste.

The 15 state-of-the-art review chapters contained in this book cover the recent advancements in the area of waste water, as well as the prospects about the future research and development of smart materials for the waste water applications in the municipal, industrial and manmade waste areas. Treatment techniques (nanofiltration, ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, adsorption and nano-reactive membranes) are also covered in-depth. The chapters are divided into three groups: The first section includes the various carbon nanomaterials (such as carbon nanotubes, mixed oxides) with a focus on use of carbon at nanoscale applied for waste water research. The second section focuses on synthetic nanomaterials for pollutants removal. The third section highlights the bio-polymeric nanomaterials where the authors have used the natural polymers matrices in a composite and nanocomposite material for waste treatment.

The large number of researchers working in the area will benefit from the fundamental concepts, advanced approaches and application of the various smart materials towards waste water treatment that are described in the book. It will also provide a platform for the researchers and graduate students to carry out advanced research and understand the building blocks.

Preface xv

Part 1 Carbon Nanomaterials 1

1 Easy and Large-Scale Synthesis of Carbon Nanotube-Based Adsorbents for the Removal of Arsenic and Organic Pollutants from Aqueous Solutions 3
Fei Yu and Jie Ma

1.1 Introduction 4

1.2 Removal of Arsenic from Aqueous Solution 5

1.3 Removal of Organic Pollutants from Aqueous Solution 22

1.4 Summary and Outlook 39

Acknowledgment 40

References 40

2 Potentialities of Graphene-Based Nanomaterials for Wastewater Treatment 47
Ana L. Cukierman, Emiliano Platero, María E. Fernandez, and Pablo R. Bonelli

2.1 Introduction 48

2.2 Graphene Synthesis Routes 49

2.3 Adsorption of Water Pollutants onto Graphene-Based Materials 52

2.4 Comparison of the Adsorption Performance of Graphene-Based Nanomaterials 72

2.5 Regeneration and Reutilization of the Graphene-Based Adsorbents 73

2.6 Conclusion 77

Acknowledgements 78

Nomenclature 78

References 79

3 Photocatalytic Activity of Nanocarbon-TiO2 Composites with Gold Nanoparticles for the Degradation of Water Pollutants 87
L.M. Pastrana-Martínez, S.A.C. Carabineiro, J.L. Figueiredo, J.L. Faria, A.M.T. Silva, and J.G. Buijnsters

3.1 Introduction 88

3.2 Experimental 90

3.3 Results and Discussion 93

3.4 Conclusions 101

Acknowledgements 102

References 102

4 Carbon Nanomaterials for Chromium (VI) Removal from Aqueous Solution 109
Pavel Kopel, Vedran Milosavljevic, Dorota Wawrzak, Amitava Moulick, Marketa Vaculovicova, Rene Kizek, and Vojtech Adam

4.1 Introduction 110

4.2 Carbon Nanomaterials for Heavy Metal Removal 111

4.3 Latest Progress in Nanocarbon Materials for Cr(VI) Treatment 113

4.4 Summary 121

Acknowledgement 121

References 121

5 Nano-Carbons from Pollutant Soot: A Cleaner Approach toward Clean Environment 127
Kumud Malika Tripathi, Nidhi Rani Gupta, and Sumit Kumar Sonkar

5.1 Introduction 127

5.2 Separation of Nano-carbon from Pollutant BC 131

5.3 Functionalization of Nano-Carbons Isolated from Pollutant BC 135

5.4 Nano-Carbons from Pollutant Soot for Wastewater Treatment 141

5.5 Conclusion 145

Acknowledgments 146

References 146

6 First-Principles Computational Design of Graphene for Gas Detection 155
Yoshitaka Fujimoto

6.1 Introduction 155

6.2 Computational Methodology 157

6.3 Nitrogen Doping and Nitrogen Vacancy Complexes in Graphene 158

6.4 Molecular Gas Adsorptions 166

6.5 Summary 174

Acknowledgments 174

References 175

Part 2 Synthetic Nanomaterials 179

7 Advanced Material for Pharmaceutical Removal from Wastewater 181
Parisa Amouzgar, May Yuan Wong, Bahman Amini Horri, and Babak Salamatinia

7.1 Introduction 182

7.2 Advanced Materials in the Removal of Pharmaceuticals from Wastewater 185

7.3 Activated Carbon (AC) 185

7.4 Modified Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) 186

7.5 Modified Polysaccharide Matrices 188

7.6 Metal Organic Framework (MOF) 190

7.7 Reactive Composites 191

7.8 TiO2-Coated Adsorbents 192

7.9 Adsorption by Zeolite and Polymer Composites 192

7.10 Adsorption by Clay 193

7.11 Conventional Technologies for the Removal of PPCPs in WWTP 200

7.12 Membrane Filtration 201

7.13 Ozonation and Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) 201

7.14 Electro-oxidation 202

7.15 Adsorption by Coagulation and Sedimentation 202

7.16 Conclusion 203

References 203

8 Flocculation Performances of Polymers and Nanomaterials for the Treatment of Industrial Wastewaters 213