Potentiality of polymer nanocomposites for sustainable environmental applications: A review of recent advances

Abstract Polymer nanocomposites have been exceptionally functional and gaining heightened attention as sustainable materials to address environmental problems. The unique physicochemical properties, electronic compatibility, high surface-to-volume ratio, conductivity, rapid interfacial interactions, ease of synthesis, low cost, and ease of functionalization accents their usage in the decontamination of water and energy storage. The polymer nanocomposites are innovative for exhibiting the synergistic traits of nanomaterial and polymer of a composite. However, the comprehensive understanding and the real-time applications of these polymer heterojunctions in environmental applications are in infancy. This review presents a crisp introduction about few important polymers in environmental nanotechnology, the interactions at the polymer interfaces, typical synthesis protocols, material characterization, and focused exclusively on their ecological applications like adsorption, pollutant detection, photocatalysis, membranes, energy storage, and disinfection. This review provides the necessary background about the specific application and presents the most recent progress in polymer interfaces to appreciate its intrinsic performance. This review is anticipated to be inclusive, convincing, and handy to the researchers and industrialists who unite to solve many environmental issues globally.