- About Us
- Guidelines
-
The Author ensures that the research has been conducted responsibly and ethically with adherence to all relevant regulations. read more..
- For Authors
- For Reviewer
- Manuscript Guidelines
- Membership
-
- Journals
- Reprints
- e-Books
- Videos
- Indexing
- Contact Us
COVID-19
- Submissions
Full Text
Polymer Science: Peer Review Journal
Polymer/2D-NMs-Composite Photocatalysts Fast Growing Market for POU Water Filtration Units
Ahmad F and Ahmad S*
Confederation of Indian Industry, India
*Corresponding author: Ahmad S, Confederation of Indian Industry, 508, BWT, Eros Garden, Charmwood Village, Faridabad, Haryana, India
Submission: October 29, 2021;Published: November 11, 2021
ISSN: 2770-6613 Volume2 Issue4
Opinion
The manufacturers of cost-effective water treatment products for potable water with
lower maintenance and installation costs have been trying hard to explore state-of-the-art
water filtration technologies based on nanostructured materials and advanced membrane
systems. Five latest water purification technologies, identified recently, have been projected
as emerging alternatives to the existing ones, include photo oxidation as one of them (PR-01).
Ongoing studies of 2D-nanomaterials (2D-NMs) have already established their photocatalytic
properties. Lamellar 2D-NMs based nanocomposites appear still more promising for designing
photocatalysts with enhanced capabilities. Some of these nanocomposites, examined recently,
are being designed for their uses in the Point-Of-Use (POU) water filtration units that are
independent of the quality of input water. Such POU water filtration units are expected to
gain considerable importance once developed fully as the nanocomposites employed therein
would be capable of thoroughly removing the bacterial contaminants in water particularly [1-
3]. 2D-NMs have been explored extensively as a filler for polymer composites for enhancing
the performance even at extremely small loading. In a recent review, a number of relevant
aspects of 2D-NM-fillers for polymer composites were discussed including their dispersion
in the polymers, surface decoration of 2D materials, and interface bonding between 2D-NM
and polymers. The challenges involved in preparing 2D-NMs/polymer composites, and future
perspectives for using these novel composites were discussed [4].
Hydrophilic surfaces charged negatively in case of lamellar MXenes (i.e., Ti3C2) were
found making intimate contact with bacterial membranes inactivated the micro-organisms.
Antibacterial activity of its derivatives with Ag, Pd, Au-nanoclusters (Au-NCs) got further
improved against the Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains. The bactericidal efficiency of
the conjugation was enhanced >96% by damaging the bacterial DNAs resulting in improved
anti-bacterial properties [5]. In this context, a comprehensive R&D program was undertaken
to study the structural and optical properties of CdO-NPs, ZnO-NPs, Cd-ZnO-NPs, g-C3N4 NSs,
and g-C3N4/Cd-ZnO-NCs with the help of extensive analytical techniques (XRD, SEM, EDX,
TEM, FTIR, UV-Vis, ESR, and PL spectroscopies) followed by determining their bactericidal
efficacies against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains. These experiments
enabled the involved research group to prepare some novel formulations with potentials for
cost-effective production at mass scale [3]. On-site, cost-effective, and easy to maintain POU
water filtration units are foreseen to prevent a number of water borne diseases specially in the
rural areas of underdeveloped countries. POU-devices must, however, provide potable water
without microbial contaminations independent of input water sources. These units should be reliable, simple, and recyclable. In this context, the investigations
made by Jakubczak, et al. [3], reported a significant breakthrough in
synthesizing a nanocomposite filtration material (2D-Ti3C2/Al2O3/
Ag/Cu) with future applications in POU water filters with 99.6%
removal of bacterial contaminations. Antibacterial properties
combined with the inhibition of biofilm formation in the presence
of 2D-MXenes were examined recently after observing that MXene
activated membranes eliminated the bacterial cells from the
filtered water. Surface decorations with Zn, Ti, Mn, or Nb-NPs were
noted to further improve their antimicrobial properties. Filtration
materials based on polypropylene fabrics modified with 2D-Ti3C2,
Al2O3, Ag, and Cu-NPs were found possessing self-disinfecting
abilities, efficient filtration, and with almost negligible release
of nanoparticulate species into the filtrate, as observed during
the study of surface oxidation of MXene Ti3C2/Al2O3/Ag/Cu-NPs
modified polypropylene fabric [3].
In another set of experiments, Sher, et al, demonstrated that Cddoped
ZnO nanocomposites involving g-C3N4 (Cd-ZnO/g-C3N4-NCs)
were found effective against Gram-positive and Gram-negative
bacterial strains by eliminating them during applications. The in
situ growth of well-dispersed Cd-doped ZnO-NPs (Cd-ZnO-NPs)
onto g-C3N4-NSs was realized through the co-precipitation forming
Cd-doped ZnO-nanocomposites with g-C3N4 (Cd-ZnO/g-C3N4 NCs).
Study of composition specific photocatalytic properties of the
ternary nanocomposites (Cd-ZnO/g-C3N4-NCs) exhibited optimum
performance in case of composition with 60% g-C3N4 hybridized
with 7% Cd-doped ZnO (g-C3N4/Cd-ZnO) NCs for visible-lightdriven
photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue dye mainly
due to the increase in the generation of photogenerated charge
carriers resulting in creation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), O2−,
and ˙OH radicals. Superoxide and hydroxyl radicals (ESR) were
found degrading MB with enhanced stability observed in high
degradation rates for 10 successive catalytic cycles [6]. Based on
these studies, Qamar, et al, reported another efficient and costeffective
photocatalyst termed as NiZG (Ni/ZnO/g-C3N4), using Nidoped
ZnO-NPs with g-C3N4 by chemical co-precipitation method.
The catalytic efficiencies of NiZG composites were evaluated by
determining the UV-vis absorption spectra for methylene blue and
testing the bactericidal effects against Gram-positive and Gramnegative
microbes. The NiZG-70 composite (i.e., 3% Ni/ZnO and
70% g-C3N4) demonstrated superior bactericidal and photocatalytic
properties under solar irradiation compared to Ni/ZnO, g-C3N4
alone. Reduced electron-hole recombination in the composite
enabling the Ni-atoms to function as electron transmitters at the
interfaces. The recycling measurement of the NiZG exhibited it as a
practical candidate for environmental remediation applications [6].
Market growth of POU water filtration units
Market research forecast of global POU water treatment
systems, expected to grow from USD 15.0 billion in 2020 to USD 23.4
billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 9.29% (2020 to 2025), is a fairly clear
indicator of this emerging technology. The POU water treatment
systems market is expected to witness significant future growth
due to its increased demands in residential and non-residential
points of use. Various factors like better awareness of using quality
potable water, increasing demands at affordable cost, technology
development in water treatment industry, combined with
increasing income of the consumers in the emerging economies,
are likely to support the growth of the POU water treatment
systems market during the forecast period (MRR-01). Out of many
water treatment technologies developed so far, those deploying
low-cost POU treatment systems must deploy mature technology of
removing waterborne pathogens using techniques like flocculation
and coagulation, filtration, and disinfection [7]. Here, the process of
flocculation and coagulation remove not only the water turbidity
but also reduce the support for microbial growth in addition to
finally removing all of them larger in size than the pore size of the
membrane. Disinfection in the form of inactivation and destruction
of microorganisms makes it appropriate for regular usage.
Despite having made considerable efforts by the manufacturers
World over, there are still challenges to address to as indicated below.
The major concern is expensive installation of POU water treatment
systems in general. In addition, operating and maintenance costs of
the POU water treatment systems is also high. In underdeveloped
countries the lack of basic infrastructure for the distribution and
storage of potable water could prove to be another challenge in the
installation of POU water treatment system. Developing and underdeveloped
countries lacking in financial stability are unable to
provide clean drinking water to their whole population. WHO noted
diarrhoea as a major disease responsible for 8.5% and 7.7% of all
deaths in Asia and Africa, respectively (MRR-01). A major challenge
influencing the POU water treatment systems market came from
the bottled water manufacturers who succeeded in solving the
problem of unpotable water by offering convenient solutions. The
increasing demand of counter-top units dominated the market
in 2019 due to their convenient usage at low maintenance, and
installation costs. Moreover, these units also helped in reducing the
contamination like dirt, chlorine, particulates, rust, lead, mercury,
sediment, copper, benzene, cadmium, cysts including bacteria
(MRR-01). The demand of residential segment accounting for a
larger share in 2019 was projected to grow at a higher CAGR from
2020 to 2025 [8,9]. The increasing demand for clean water across
the globe and limited freshwater resources makes it crucial to treat
water for residential and non-residential applications at affordable
costs. Factors like improving global economy, expanding working
population, rapid urbanization, growing awareness about water
purification technologies, growth in the middle-class population,
and rise in income are projected to drive the demand for the POU
treatment systems in the Asia Pacific during the forecast period.
Europe is projected to follow the Asia Pacific (MRR-01).
References
- Kumar D, Ahmad S (2017) Green intelligent nanomaterials by design (Using nanoparticulate/2D-materials building blocks) Current developments and future trends.
- Ahmad S (2017) Role of 2D-material in engineered nanomaterials. MOJ Poly Sci 1(4): 00024.
- Jakubczak M, Karwowska E, Rozmysłowska WA, Petrus M, Wozniak J, et al. (2021) Filtration materials modified with 2D nanocomposites - A new perspective for point-of-use water treatment. Materials 14(1): 182.
- Liu W, Ullah B, Kuo CC, Cai X (2019) Two-dimensional nanomaterials-based polymer composites: Fabrication and energy storage applications. Hindawi Adv Polymer Tech.
- Ahmad S, Ashraf I, Mansoor MI, Rizwan S, Iqbal M (2021) An overview of recent advances in the synthesis and applications of the transition metal carbide nanomaterials. Nanomaterials 11: 776.
- Sher M, Javed M, Shahid S, Iqbal S, Qamar MA, et al. (2021) The controlled synthesis of g-C3N4/Cd-doped ZnO nanocomposites as potential photocatalysts for the disinfection and degradation of organic pollutants under visible light irradiation. RSC Adv 11(4): 2025-2039.
- https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/point-of-use-water-treatment-systems-market-131277828.html
- Qamar MA, Shahid S, Javed M, Iqbal S, Sher M, et al. (2021) Designing of highly active g-C3N4/NiZnO photocatalyst nanocomposite for the disinfection and degradation of the organic dye under sunlight radiations. Colloids Surf A 614: 126176.
- www.water-technology.net/features/latest-water-purification-technologies-top-five/
© 2021 Ahmad S. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and build upon your work non-commercially.
Editor In Chief
.jpg)
Signup for Newsletter
Quick Links
Editorial Board Registrations
Submit your Article
Best Paper of the Volume
Reprints
Refer a Friend
Advertise With UsOur Recent Edition
.jpg)
Top Editors
.jpg)
.bmp)
.jpg)
.png)
.jpg)
.png)
.png)
.png)
Financial Support
Sponsors
Latest e-Books
Latest Video
a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Based on a work at www.crimsonpublishers.com.
Best viewed in 
| Above IE 9.0 version