Recent advances in polymer nanomaterials for the removal of heavy metals from aqueous solutions: A review

In contemporary environmental engineering and conservation, removing contaminants from water is one of the most important challenges we face. Adsorption methods that use solid adsorbents have been used extensively since the early days of our industry as they have proved to be an efficient method for extracting metals from wastewater. Of the various materials used as solid adsorbents, polymer-based composites have received significant attention due to their environmentally friendly and biodegradable attributes. When polymers are formulated into nanocomposites, they often exhibit superior physical, chemical, mechanical, and compatibility properties by employing the advantages of both types of materials together in a unitary form. The focus of this article is an overview of the polymer-based composites that exhibit multiple source materials of functional organic and/or inorganic elements for hazardous metal ion extraction from wastewater solutions. The methods employed to produce the adsorbents, the characteristics of the adsorption process, and the examination of the different mechanisms driving the adsorption process will be discussed and researched in detail. Lastly, the possible future course and potential growth sectors will be examined. The purpose of this review is to provide a basis and insight for the development of polymer-based nanocomposites for the removal of a wide variety of heavy metals in pollution management systems in the near future.