Polymer-based nanocomposites for heavy metal ions removal from aqueous solution: a review

Water pollutant treatment has become a critical issue in environmental engineering and protection. Adsorption techniques via solid adsorbents have been widely applied for the efficient removal of metal ions from wastewater solutions, where polymer-based composites have attracted much attention due to their intrinsic environmentally harmless and degradable properties. Particularly, polymer-based nano-composites often present superior physical, chemical and mechanical properties, as well as superior compatibility, as compared with single polymers, by incorporating the advantages of both counterparts in the composites. This article is an overview of the versatile polymer-based composites containing different functional organic and/or inorganic counterparts for the removal of hazardous metal ions from wastewater. The synthesis of the adsorbents, adsorption process features and mechanism investigation are highlighted and discussed in detail. The future perspectives and trends in this field are also outlined. We hope that this review will provide some inspiring information for designing and fabricating polymer-based nanocomposites for the removal of diverse heavy metal ions from aqueous solution, and pollution management in the near future.