A review on carbon nanotubes in an environmental protection and green engineering perspective

Recent developments in nanotechnologies have helped to benchmark carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as one of the most studied nanomaterials. By taking advantages of CNTs extraordinary physical, chemical and electronic properties, a wide variety of applications has been proposed in various engineering fields. In this short review, the contribution of CNTs is addressed in terms of sustainable environment and green technologies perspective, such as waste water treatment, air pollution monitoring, biotechnologies, renewable energy technologies, supercapacitors and green nanocomposites. Consideration of CNTs for large scale application from the aspect of cost and potential hazards are also discussed. Based on the literature studied, CNTs pose a great potential as a promising material for application in various environmental fields.