Recent advances in the use of walnut (<i>Juglans regia</i> L.) shell as a valuable plant-based bio-sorbent for the removal of hazardous materials
Ali Jahanban‐Esfahlan, Rana Jahanban‐Esfahlan, Mahnaz Tabibiazar, Leila Roufegarinejad, Ryszard Amarowicz
Abstract
L.) is a valuable tree nut in the Juglandaceae family. The fruit is composed of four main parts: the kernel, the skin, the shell, and the husk. The importance of walnuts is mostly related to theirs valuable kernels. However, their shells are currently experiencing as much interest as their kernels due to the beneficial effects of the shells. In the past several years, walnut shell (WS) has been widely explored as a naturally inert plant-based biosorbent. In this review, we first highlight recent scientific literature regarding the development of adsorbents from WS in the form of carbon-based materials including unmodified/modified WS, and activated carbons (ACs). Next, we discuss the potential applications of WS-derived by-products as natural yet effective adsorbents for the removal of various hazardous materials including heavy metals (HMs), synthetic industrial dyes, and harmful chemicals.