Contemporary updates on bioremediation applications of graphene and its composites

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2023 Apr;30(17):48854-48867. doi: 10.1007/s11356-023-26225-9. Epub 2023 Mar 8.

Abstract

Graphene, a 2D single-layered carbon sp2 hybrid substance set in a honeycomb network, is widespread in many carbon-based materials. Due to its extraordinary optical, electrical, thermal, mechanical, and magnetic competences as well as its significant specific surface area, it has attracted a lot of interest recently. Synthesizing graphene refers to any process for creating or extracting the material, depending on the desired purity, size, and efflorescence of the finished good. Numerous methods have been employed for graphene synthesis categorized as top-down procedures and bottom-up procedures. Graphene finds its implementations in various industries such as electronics, energy, chemical, transport, defence, and biomedical areas such as accurate biosensing. It has been widely used in water treatment as a binder for organic contaminants and heavy metals. Many researches have fixated on creating various modified graphene, graphene oxide composites, graphene nanoparticle composites and semiconductor hybrids of graphene for contaminant removal from water. In this review, we have tried to address various production methods for graphene and its composites along with their advantages and disadvantages. Furthermore, we have presented a summary on graphene's outstanding immobilization of a variety of contaminants like toxic heavy metals, organic dyes, inorganic pollutants and pharmaceutical wastes. Additionally, a development of graphene-based microbial fuel cell (MFC) has been evaluated in an effort to produce ecological wastewater treatment and bioelectricity.

Keywords: Bioremediation; Bottom-up synthesis; Composites; Graphene; Top-down synthesis.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adsorption
  • Biodegradation, Environmental
  • Graphite* / chemistry
  • Metals, Heavy* / analysis

Substances

  • Graphite
  • Metals, Heavy