Metal and Carbon-Based Nanomaterials for the Water Disinfection

Disinfection is an indispensable part of a water treatment system to provide high-quality water. Various disinfection-based technologies have been implemented for the same, including UV, chlorination, and ozonation, but possess limitations in terms of operations, cost, and carcinogenic by-products formation; therefore, demand such a system that can compensate for these challenges. Electrochemical disinfection is an appealing technology due to its environmentally amicable and cost-effective usage. Due to the intervention of nanomaterial sciences, this technology has shown constructive outcomes for water disinfection. Nanomaterials like carbon and metal-based nanomaterials have shown fabulous results in the field of water disinfection and can enhance the antimicrobial activity via their tunable physicochemical properties. Laser-Induced Graphene (LIG), a novel carbon-based nanomaterial has outstanding surface properties that inhibit bacterial growth and can behave as an antimicrobial surface in the presence of electricity with the simultaneous generation of hydrogen peroxide. Additionally, Metal-based nanoparticles are promising antimicrobial agents as they generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) and creates oxidative stress in the microbes. This chapter articulates the role of carbon and metal-based nanomaterials in disinfection processes and how they can overcome the limitations faced by conventional materials by providing better electrocatalytic and surface properties to escalate the disinfection process.