Graphene and graphene oxide-based nanoadsorbents in wastewater treatment

Several industries discharge high amounts of wastewater containing various pollutants that cause health issues. As such, there is an urgent need for the removal of these contaminants from wastewater before being discharged into the environment. Among the nanomaterials reported for the removal of pollutants from wastewater, graphene-based nanomaterials showed enhanced performance. Graphene and graphene oxide are carbon materials that have high optical, mechanical, and thermal properties, due to their exceptional properties, they have received great attention from researchers. Graphene oxide contains carboxyl, carbonyl, phenol, epoxide, and hydroxyl functional groups, which assist in the adsorption of pollutants from wastewater. Several nanocomposite materials have been prepared using graphene oxide with MOFs, metal oxides, and polymer composites as adsorbents, membranes, and catalysts for wastewater treatment. The hydrophilicity of the membranes and surface modification can be achieved by incorporating graphene-based composites. This chapter highlights graphene-based materials, the challenges and future development of graphene-based materials for wastewater treatment.