Functionalized nanodiamonds as a perspective green carbo-catalyst for removal of emerging organic pollutants

Rapid industrial and urban development jointly with rising global population strongly affect the large-scale issues with drinking, groundwater, and surface water pollution. Concerns are not limited to environmental issues but also human health impact becoming serious global aspect. Organic pollution becomes a primarily serious hazard, therefore, the novel sophisticated approaches to treat them are thoroughly investigated. Among numerous materials, functionalized nanodiamonds are specific versatile nanocarbon material attracted ample attention thanks to their exceptional chemical, optical and electronic properties beneficial in the decomposition of harmful organic chemicals.

This work delivers a comprehensive review of progress and perspectives on the green-friendly nanodiamonds, which are suitable for the degradation of emerging organic pollutants using numerous approaches utilizing them as an electro-oxidation catalyst; photocatalyst; oxidation agent, or adsorbing surface. Novel modification strategies of nanodiamonds (i.e., persulfates, oxides, or metals) remarkably improve pollutant removal efficiency and facilitate charge transfer and surface regeneration. Furthermore, we evaluated also the influence of various factors like pH, natural organic matters, or radical scavengers on the removal efficiency combining them with nanodiamond properties. The identified missing research gaps and development perspectives of nanodiamond surfaces in water remediation relating to other nanocarbon and metal catalysts were also here described.