Nanofibers for Water and Wastewater Treatment: Recent Advances and Developments

Abstract

Materials of nanofibrous morphology and structure are attractive for solving environmental problems including water-related issues. In recent years, increasing interest is geared on the use of specially designed electrospun nanofibers for water/wastewater treatment applications. The nanofibers can be used in the form of nonwoven structures, as stand-alone membranes, as support layer or as a surface modification layer that enables added functionality to a composite material. Continuous research has been carried out in optimizing the nanofiber membrane design and structure by manipulating material, process and surrounding parameters in the electrospinning process. This chapter highlights the recent advances and developments on the potential and application of electrospun nanofibers for water/wastewater treatment. Comprehensive discussion is presented here on various designs and structures of nanofibers and their applications to water-related treatment and the future prospects of such materials.