Design Approaches, Functionalization, and Environmental and Analytical Applications of Magnetic Halloysite Nanotubes: A Review
Meriem Fizir, Wei Liu, Xue Tang, Fangqi Wang, Yassmine Benmokadem
Abstract
Abstract Researchers have long been committed to developing alternative, low-cost nanomaterials that have comparable capacity to carbon nanotubes. Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) are naturally hollow, multi-walled, tubular structures that have high porosity, enlarged volumes and surface areas, and hydroxyl groups ready for modification. In addition, HNTs are non-toxic, biocompatible, inexpensive, abundant in nature, and easy to obtain. Magnetic nanocomposites have aroused widespread attention for their diverse potential applications in analytical fields and so magnetic halloysite nanotubes (MHNTs) have emerged as outstanding magnetic nano-adsorbent materials. Owing to their superparamagnetism, selective adsorption ability, and easy separation and surface modification, these captivating nanomaterials excel at extracting and enriching various analytes from environmental, biological, and food samples. The current review article gives an insight into recent advances in the design, functionalization, characterization, and application of MHNTs as magnetic, solid-phase extraction sorbents for separation of antibiotics, pesticides, proteins, carcinogens such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), dyes, radioactive ions, and heavy-metal ions in complex matrices.