Application of Quantum Dots in Wastewaters Treatment

Water stress and scarcity are among the primary issue that the world is witnessing in this era, as pollution of freshwater resources are increasing due to various emerging pollutants, such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products, pesticides, and household and industrial chemicals. Efficient treatment of wastewater is an important aspect of fresh water supply, and such water can also be used for different household activities and other purposes. So for wastewater treatment, different eco-friendly as well as economic approaches have been analyzed, and the use of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) for the treatment of wastewater is efficient and effective technique extensively studied in the last few years. CQDs are promising nanomaterials for water pollution treatment due to their small particle sizes, tuneable fluorescent properties and containing oxygen-based functional groups. In this chapter, the chemical and physical attributes of CQDs, raw substances and methodologies being utilized in the synthesis, and stability of CQDs, along with their effective employment in wastewater remediation and treatment, has discussed in detail. 

Keywords: Heavy metals, Organic pollutants, Photo-catalysis, Quantum dots, Water pollution.