JEM Spotlight: Applications of advanced nanomaterials for environmental monitoring

Rapid progress of the nanotechnology and advanced nanomaterials production offers significant opportunities for a wide range of applications for detection and remediation of a broad range of environmental contaminants. The convergence of analytical techniques and nanotechnology provides attractive possibilities for development of miniaturized, rapid, ultrasensitive and inexpensive methods for in situ and field-based environmental monitoring devices. This review provides an overview of the various nanoparticles and nanostructures used for this purpose, their integration into functional analytical devices, applications as electrode materials and gas sensing nanoprobes, in biosensors and as capture probes in immunomagnetic separations. Relevant, specific examples of nanomaterials-based chemical and biological sensors with applications in environmental monitoring are discussed.