Progress in antimony capturing by superior materials: Mechanisms, properties and perspectives

Abstract Antimony (Sb) is naturally present and abundant in the Earth’s crust, and meanwhile, it is widely used in manufacturing industries. Recently the capturing/removal of excess Sb from water has attracted large attention due to its un-expected high toxicity. This review summarizes the recent advances in Sb removal by promising materials, including bimetal (hydro)oxides, layered double hydroxides, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), magnetic nanostructured materials and polymer-based composite materials. The relationship between individual chemical properties of Sb species and their removal mechanisms is firstly demonstrated, and the removal mechanisms are also analyzed at micro- and macroscopic levels. The typical features, preparation procedures, performance, relative merits as well as the challenges and perspectives of these promising materials are reviewed and discussed. The removal of Sb species by the new-born poly(ionic liquid)s and imprinted polymer is also briefly presented. This review will provide inspiring information on designing novel and superior materials for the removal of antimony species from aqueous media.