Carbon-based materials approach for environmental sensing

Abstract Carbon nanomaterials (CNMs), including like carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene, and others, have shown significant impact in environmental applications ranging from detection of pollutants to bioremediation. The unique physico-chemical properties of CNMs allow them to be used in developing various kind of optical and electrochemical sensing tools and devices for screening for various kinds of pollutants. In this chapter, we discuss the current state of the art of CNM applications in sensors for analysis of environmental contaminants. We summarize recent progress in using CNMs for detection of various contaminants, principles of sensor operation, and the development of CNM-based sensors for environmental applications.