Polyaniline-based Functional Nanohybrid Materials Towards Environmental Remediation; Current Progress, Challenges, and Future Perspectives

Extensive research has focused on investigating morphological, physical, and chemical characteristics to develop and design highly effective environmental cleanup technologies using advanced functional nanomaterials. Polymeric nanocomposites have the potential to effectively remove harmful pollutants from the environment due to their ability to disperse active species within a polymer matrix, easily exfoliate into nanophases, and undergo chemical modifications. This offers a promising opportunity for the elimination of toxic substances. Polymer-supported nanomaterials offer numerous advantages, including large specific surface areas, favorable transport properties, and appealing physicochemical characteristics. This review article focuses on exploring diverse engineering strategies for nanomaterials based on polymers and how these strategies impact the intrinsic performance of the materials, such as their electronic properties and adsorption capabilities. Additionally, we delve into the potential opportunities and challenges for polymer-supported nanomaterials as efficient adsorbents. We employ theoretical calculations, surface characterization techniques, and efficiency evaluations better to understand the atomic-level interaction between contaminants and emerging nanomaterials. We aim to establish fundamental connections between their electronic structure, adsorption energy, and apparent activity by investigating a wide range of polyaniline-supported nanomaterials. Our goal is to enhance understanding of the interface interaction, thereby facilitating the development of improved adsorbents.