A comparative study on the basis of adsorption capacity between CNTs and activated carbon as adsorbents for removal of noxious synthetic dyes: a review

Rapid removal of noxious synthetic dyes from wastewater is of great concern in the scientific research field, this is due to the expansion of harmful effects of synthetic dyes traces in water streams on the environment and human health with the exponential rise in concentration of synthetic dye globally and demand in various industries that coincided with the implantation of more stringent water quality standards. Various technologies have been applied for the removal of synthetic dye from wastewater, including adsorption technology, which has a great potential in treating varieties of synthetic dyes. This article comprehensively reviews the latest progress in the development of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and their applications for the removal of synthetic dyes from wastewater, including functionalized of CNTs and their researched counterparts. The emerging trends in the development of alternative adsorbents with different substrates, morphologies, and functional groups are also elucidated.