Nano-engineered 2D hBN-Based Materials for Environmental and Healthcare Applications

Abstract

The critical state of access to clean water is jeopardizing our health. According to a Cambridge University report, approximately 50,000 tons of dyes are discharged into global water systems from textile industries. "The world bank estimates that at least 20% of water pollution originates from textile dyeing." On the other hand, tanker spills account for about 10 percent of the oil in waters around the world, and regular operations of the shipping industry contribute about onethird. Chemicals and heavy metals such as mercury, lead, nickel, cobalt, cadmium, sulphur and arsenic are the additional leading causes of contaminated water creating neurological damage in young children." What can be done to remove these detrimental contaminants from the water? In this thesis, we report an environmentally benign and cost-effective preparation method of new adsorbents using few-layers of 2D hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (hBNNs) incorporated in various forms of adsorbent systems such as membranes or sponges either alone or biofunctionalized with the enzyme laccase toalsobiodegradetheadsorbed pollutantsafterremoving them. Dueto thepolarity of BN bonds, high surface area, nanosheet structure, and specifically hydrophobicity property of porous hBN nanosheets, they have been proven to have several advantages over existing technologies for organic pollutant removal and clean-up of oil spillage. These adsorbent materials were also modified in terms of their structure and functional groups to remove alternative