Chapter 7: Graphene-based Materials for Water Remediation: Recent Advances on Pollutant Sorption, Photodegradation and Filtration

The discovery of graphene, a two-dimensional material with an atomic layer of sp²-hybridized carbon atoms in a hexagonal structure, and related materials, has drawn increasing attention for environmental purposes, particularly water remediation. Graphene-based materials (GBM) have inherent features, such as large specific surface area and high diversity of functional groups, that allow the establishment of different interactions with ions, molecules, and nanoparticles, giving rise to sustainable, scalable, and effective pollution treatment technology. This chapter aims to give an overview of the recent research work being developed with GBM to create high-throughput technologies for water remediation, focused on sorption, photodegradation, and filtration of a wide range of pollutants. Here, the synthesis, processing parameters, and interaction mechanism of GBM are summarized and discussed, including novel strategies to enhance the performance, recyclability, and robustness of the process, complying with the 3 Rs development initiative (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle). This review is intended to provide some exciting information for the design and manufacture of GBM for the removal of heavy metal ions and degradation of organic compounds from waste water and contaminated water for the development of sustainable technologies for environmental pollution management.