Novel 2D Nanosheets with Potential Applications in Heavy Metal Purification: A Review

Abstract Over the past decades, extensive studies have been carried out for the design of advanced materials for water purification. Heavy metal pollution in water is a serious global environmental problem due to their toxicity and carcinogenicity. With the discovery of graphene, novel 2D nanosheets, derived from the wide variety of traditional materials, have emerged as some of the most promising candidates for heavy metal purification. This review summarizes the recent progress on the novel 2D nanosheets with their applications in heavy metal purification. First, the authors introduce the unique advances on 2D nanomaterials, followed by the description of their composition and crystal structures. Some novel 2D nanosheets with great success in heavy metal purification field are then summarized, including insights on their advantages over traditional materials and limitations in practical applications, along with some advances in interfacial structure modifications for future work. The functional design of more and more novel 2D interfacial materials with unique properties is still demanding for future industrial applications.