Functionalized carbon 1D/2D nanomaterials for effective water desalination: Synthesis, applications and cost issues. An overview

Global water scarcity continues to increase and water desalination is an increasingly important technological solution. This review presents a brief description of the synthesis, applications, and cost considerations associated with multifunctional advanced materials used in water desalination. Traditionally, desalination has been accomplished by using energy-intensive processes such as reverse osmosis and thermal distillation. The con-ventional techniques are incapable to address the desalination of water in proper way. As a result of these limitations, advanced materials have been developed and applied to enhance desalination processes. Examples of these materials include composite materials, nanomaterials (g-C3N4, graphene, etc.) and MXene based materials. Due to their improved performance, selectivity, and permeability, these materials may be used in membrane -based processes, such as nanofiltration and forward osmosis, as well as solar-driven desalination. In addition, advanced materials are used for water purification, wastewater treatment, and pollutant elimination, further addressing environmental concerns. However, cost remains a significant barrier to their widespread imple-mentation, requiring an ongoing research and collaboration effort to render multifunctional advanced materials economically viable for water desalination.