Nanotechnology and Carbon Dots (CDs), which are subsets of Nanomaterials, may be a solution to the growing environmental issue of water pollution. The expansion of urban society has introduced toxic pollutants into bodies of water, disrupting the aquatic ecosystem’s balance. Luckily, emerging technologies, such as nanotechnology, offer novel approaches for sustainable and efficient environmental remediation.
Nanotechnology: An Overview
Nanotechnology involves the usage and evolution of methods to study physical phenomena and establish new material and device structures within the physical size range of 1-100 nanometres (nm). This technology significantly impacts several areas, including manufacturing, electronics, IT, medicine, environment and energy storage, and chemical and biological technologies.
In India, nanotechnology is predominantly government-driven. With a few exceptions, public-funded universities and research institutes largely carry out nanotechnology R&D.
Carbon Dots (CDs)
Originating in 2004, CDs represent one of the most recent additions to the carbon nanomaterial family. These materials, with an average diameter of less than 10 nanometres, possess unique optical properties that vary based on the synthesis precursor. They are gaining popularity in applications like sensing and bioimaging due to their ability to donate and accept electrons.
How CDs Help Resolve Environmental Issues
The use of CDs offers several ways to address environmental pollution challenges:
Pollutant Sensing
CDs can detect environmental pollutants through fluorescence and colorimetric methods, thanks to their high fluorescence emission capacity.
Contaminant Adsorption
Due to their small size and large surface area, CDs offer numerous surfaces adsorption sites, increasing the effectiveness of contaminant removal.
Water Treatment
Through the formation of chemical bonds with other compounds, CDs can serve as effective nano-fillers in fabricating thin-film nanocomposite membranes, proving useful in water treatment.
Pollutant Degradation
CDs serve as an innovative tool for next-generation photocatalysis, a process that uses light and a semiconductor to degrade pollutants in water.
Antimicrobial Properties
CDs’ antimicrobial mechanisms include physical/mechanical destruction, oxidative stress, photocatalytic effect, and inhibition of bacterial metabolism. CDs can efficiently generate reactive oxygen species under natural or visible light, causing bacteria death.
Methods of Carbon Dots Synthesis
Synthesis of CDs generally falls into “top-down” and “bottom-up” categories. The top-down approach involves converting large carbon structures into smaller, quantum-sized CDs using methods like laser ablation and chemical oxidation. Conversely, the bottom-up method creates CDs through carbonising small molecule precursors using processes like pyrolysis and hydrothermal.
Nanotechnology in Health Sector
Nanotechnology plays a crucial role in the health sector due to its potential in targeted drug delivery and gene therapy. By inserting a gene into the patient’s cells, gene therapy treats or prevents diseases without resorting to drugs or surgery.
By providing novel approaches to environmental sustainability and efficient health solutions, nanotechnology and CDs have paved the way for a more balanced and healthier society.
