Iron triad nanomaterials and their sustainable application in the environment

Iron triad nanomaterials (including Fe, Co, Ni and their compounds) have attracted much attention in environmental protection and remediation due to their low cost, unique magnetism, suitable electric and electrocatalytic properties, and high specific surface area. They can be used to detect and degrade various environmental pollutants such as heavy metal ions, inorganic anions, and some organic molecules based on different mechanisms, and be magnetically recycled. Even pollutants can be transformed into useful components through specific handling. Considering their convenient and specialized applications in the environmental field, herein, we review the most recent progress in the detection, and treatment of contaminants from the environment using iron triad nanomaterials and their recycling with typical examples and deep analyses. The current limitations and issues in these applications will also be presented in order to address the remaining challenges to turn them into developed technologies.