Zinc-Based Nanomaterials for Sustainable Environmental Remediation

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Handbook of Green and Sustainable Nanotechnology
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Abstract

Due to industrial development and anthropogenic activities, environmental pollution by organic and inorganic contaminants as well as by solid waste is causing adverse effects and risks to biota. Commercial discharge of waste is mainly consisting of organic pollutants and heavy metals that are extensively used for diverse applications. Hence, their frequent occurrences have been detected in soil, sludge, water, and other contamination sources. Considering global presence, toxicity, and potential for bioaccumulation, employment of advanced low-cost techniques is highly mandatory. Various methods based on thermal, microbial, photolysis, and conventional adsorbents have been used for complete eradication. Recently, nanomaterial-based photocatalysis is being highly preferred given definite properties. Among them, zinc-based nanomaterials (ZnO, ZnS, ZnHCF, and ZnHCC) are attracting lots of attention because of their definite morphology, ease of synthesis, minor phytotoxicity behavior, and enhanced antimicrobial activity. Further, their doped and composite forms (ZnO@ZnHCF, ZnO@Fe2O3, and ZnHCF@TiO2) showed better potential induced by synergism due to additional energy levels and area of the surface. In this chapter, we have summarized recent literature on zinc-based nanomaterials for sustainable environmental remediation. Moreover, the synthesis of Zn-based nanomaterials using different techniques and applications in the removal of dangerous pollutants such as pharmaceuticals, dyes, phenols, substituted amines, plastic additives, fertilizer, and pesticides and their metabolites has been described. Possible degradation pathways during photocatalysis by radical mechanisms (OH and O2) were also explained.

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Rani, M., Shanker, U. (2022). Zinc-Based Nanomaterials for Sustainable Environmental Remediation. In: Shanker, U., Hussain, C.M., Rani, M. (eds) Handbook of Green and Sustainable Nanotechnology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-69023-6_55-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-69023-6_55-1

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