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Smart nanomaterials for clean water and a comprehensive exploration of the potentials of metal oxide nanoparticles in environmental remediation

  • Humaira Aslam , Arshad Ali , Ali Umar , Misbah Ullah Khan ORCID logo EMAIL logo , Muhammad Zeshan Azam ORCID logo , Hayat Ullah , Khaled Fahmi Fawy , Mahmood D. Aljabri , Shahab Khan ORCID logo EMAIL logo and Mohmmed M. Rahman ORCID logo
Published/Copyright: August 5, 2025
Zeitschrift für Physikalische Chemie
From the journal Zeitschrift für Physikalische Chemie Volume 239 Issue 10

Abstract

Nanotechnology is promising for water filtration and decontamination, eliminating contaminants and pathogens from wastewater with exceptional efficiency. Nanomaterials like metal oxide nanoparticles (MONPs) have received attention for their extraordinary characteristics and versatility in tackling environmental issues. Metal oxides are attractive wastewater treatment materials due to their various physicochemical features. Metal oxide nanoparticles have great promise, but few review studies have examined their relevance in this field. Thus, our understanding of the extensive range of metal oxide nanoparticles and their water filtration applications is poor. A comprehensive investigation of metal oxide nanoparticles that reduce water contamination is the goal of this review paper. MONPs can remove organic and inorganic chemicals, heavy metals, pesticides, and wastewater dyes like azo-dyes. MONPs’ dynamic physiochemical properties high surface-to-volume ratio and low concentration efficacy make them effective wastewater treatment agents. These features help MONPs absorb and breakdown contaminants, improving water treatment. This extensive review examines five metal oxide nanoparticles, as well as their antibacterial and wastewater treatment uses. Titanium dioxide (TiO2), zinc oxide (ZnO), iron oxide (Fe2O3), copper oxide (CuO), and manganese oxide (MnO2) prove their environmental flexibility and performance. Due to their photocatalytic activity, TiO2 nanoparticles degrade organic contaminants and inactivate germs under UV light. ZnO nanoparticles have the ability to adsorb and photocatalyze heavy metals and organic contaminants from wastewater, making them powerful antimicrobials. Fe2O3 nanoparticles can separate from treated water due to their magnetic characteristics. CuO nanoparticles also adsorb organic dyes and heavy metals, making them useful in wastewater cleanup. Finally, MnO2 nanoparticles have excellent oxidizing characteristics, decomposing organic pollutants and reducing water toxins. Their capacity to catalyze redox reactions makes them essential in water treatment, especially for pollution removal. MONPs, especially in wastewater treatment, have great potential to reduce worldwide water pollution. By using metal oxide nanoparticles, we can improve water purification efficiency and sustainability, preserving our precious water resources and public health.

Keywords: nanomaterial; bacteria; wastewater; metal oxide; inorganic pollutants; MONPs
Corresponding authors: Misbah Ullah Khan Centre for Nanosciences, University of Okara, Okara 56130, Pakistan, E-mail: ; and Shahab Khan, Department of Chemistry, University of Malakand, Dir Lower, Malakand, Pakistan, E-mail:

Acknowledgement

The authors extend their appreciation to Umm Al-Qura University, Saudi Arabia for funding this research work through grant number: 25UQU4290372GSSR04.

  1. Research ethics: Not applicable.

  2. Informed consent: All the authors are agreed with this publication.

  3. Author contributions: The literature survey and collection of data were performed by H.A. and A.U. along with validation. A.A. and M.Z.A. validated, organized the data and improved the schemes. While H.U. and K.F.F. improved the manuscript quality along with language and grammatical improvement. M.D.A. and M.M.R. improved the schemes and checked condition of provided reactions. The manuscript initial draft was prepared by S.K. and M.U.A. presented the data, along with editing, validation, and supervision.

  4. Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: None declared.

  5. Conflict of interest: Not applicable.

  6. Research funding: This research work was funded by Umm Al-Qura University, Saudi Arabia under grant number: 25UQU4290372GSSR04.

  7. Data availability: Not applicable.

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Received: 2025-07-03
Accepted: 2025-07-09
Published Online: 2025-08-05
Published in Print: 2025-10-27

© 2025 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Review Articles
  3. Surfactants in action: chemistry, behavior, and industrial applications
  4. Smart nanomaterials for clean water and a comprehensive exploration of the potentials of metal oxide nanoparticles in environmental remediation
  5. Nanomaterials at the forefront: classification, fabrication technique, and cross-sector applications
  6. Original Papers
  7. Unlocking the potential of FeNbGe Half Heusler: stability, electronic, magnetic and thermodynamic properties
  8. Investigating the antibacterial potency of Schiff base derivatives as potential agents for urinary tract infection: DFT, solvation, molecular docking and pharmacokinetic studies
  9. Continuous rapid cooling of polarized electrons initiates Mpemba superfreezing
  10. Synthesis and characterization of CNTs doped polymeric composites: comparative studies on exploring impact of CNT concentration on morphological, structural, thermokinetic and mechanical attributes
  11. Frumkin’s adsorption model – a successful approach for understanding surfactant adsorption layers
https://doi.org/10.1515/zpch-2025-0096
Keywords for this article
nanomaterial; bacteria; wastewater; metal oxide; inorganic pollutants; MONPs

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Review Articles
  3. Surfactants in action: chemistry, behavior, and industrial applications
  4. Smart nanomaterials for clean water and a comprehensive exploration of the potentials of metal oxide nanoparticles in environmental remediation
  5. Nanomaterials at the forefront: classification, fabrication technique, and cross-sector applications
  6. Original Papers
  7. Unlocking the potential of FeNbGe Half Heusler: stability, electronic, magnetic and thermodynamic properties
  8. Investigating the antibacterial potency of Schiff base derivatives as potential agents for urinary tract infection: DFT, solvation, molecular docking and pharmacokinetic studies
  9. Continuous rapid cooling of polarized electrons initiates Mpemba superfreezing
  10. Synthesis and characterization of CNTs doped polymeric composites: comparative studies on exploring impact of CNT concentration on morphological, structural, thermokinetic and mechanical attributes
  11. Frumkin’s adsorption model – a successful approach for understanding surfactant adsorption layers
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