Boron Based Nanomaterials for Environmental Sustainability: Applications, Opportunities, and Risks

Abstract

Among the major threats to environmental sustainability are water pollution, air contamination, soil degradation due to erosion and nutrient depletion, climate change and inefficient waste management that create a pressing need for advanced sustainable remediation technologies. Notably, boron-based nanomaterials have increasingly attracted interest due to their unique physiochemical properties such as high chemical and thermal stabilities, tunable surface chemistry, structural versatility and multifunctional performance. In this article, we review the major boron-based nanomaterials with hexagonal boron nitride, porous boron nitride, boron carbon nitride, boron doped carbons and Boron-doped diamond electrodes in environmental applications. The topics include water purification, heavy metal extraction, cleaning and trapping organic and inorganic pollutants, air treatment, capture of CO₂, waste recycling and treatment as well as smart fertilizers and controlled release pesticides for agricultural uses. This review further summarizes the predominant mechanisms involved including adsorption, membrane separation, photocatalysis, electrochemical oxidation, sensing and controlled release. Also, environmental risks and toxicological considerations are addressed, with an emphasis on ecotoxicity, exposure pathways, and safe-and-sustainable-by-design principles. While boron-based nanotechnology holds great potential for next generation environmental solutions, continued research efforts towards scaling up such materials as well as understanding long duration safety, life-cycle performance and ease of real-world use are necessary to facilitate broad deployment.

Keywords

• boron-based nanomaterials
• boron nitride
• environmental sustainability
• water treatment
• pollutant removal
• carbon capture
• toxicological assessment

Çevresel Sürdürülebilirlik için Bor Bazlı Nanomalzemeler: Uygulamalar, Fırsatlar ve Riskler

Abstract

Çevresel sürdürülebilirliğe yönelik başlıca tehditler arasında su kirliliği, hava kirliliği, erozyon ve besin maddelerinin tükenmesi nedeniyle toprak bozulması, iklim değişikliği ve verimsiz atık yönetimi yer almaktadır; bu durumlar, gelişmiş ve sürdürülebilir iyileştirme teknolojilerine acil bir ihtiyaç doğurmaktadır. Özellikle bor bazlı nanomalzemeler, yüksek kimyasal ve termal kararlılık, ayarlanabilir yüzey kimyası, yapısal çok yönlülük ve çok işlevli performans gibi benzersiz fizikokimyasal özellikleri nedeniyle giderek daha fazla ilgi çekmektedir. Bu makalede, çevresel uygulamalarda kullanılan altıgen bor nitrür, gözenekli bor nitrür, bor karbon nitrür, bor katkılı karbonlar ve bor katkılı elmas elektrotlar gibi başlıca bor bazlı nanomalzemeleri gözden geçiriyoruz. Konular arasında su arıtma, ağır metal ekstraksiyonu, organik ve inorganik kirleticilerin temizlenmesi ve tutulması, hava arıtma, CO₂ yakalama, atık geri dönüşümü ve arıtma ile tarımsal kullanımlar için akıllı gübreler ve kontrollü salınımlı pestisitler yer almaktadır. Bu derleme, adsorpsiyon, membran ayrıştırma, fotokataliz, elektrokimyasal oksidasyon, algılama ve kontrollü salım gibi başlıca mekanizmaları özetlemektedir. Ayrıca, ekotoksisite, maruz kalma yolları ve tasarım aşamasında güvenli ve sürdürülebilirlik ilkelerine vurgu yapılarak çevresel riskler ve toksikolojik hususlar ele alınmaktadır. Bor bazlı nanoteknoloji, yeni nesil çevresel çözümler için büyük bir potansiyel barındırsa da, bu tür malzemelerin ölçeğinin büyütülmesine yönelik araştırma çabalarının sürdürülmesi ve uzun vadeli güvenlik, yaşam döngüsü performansı ve gerçek dünyada kullanım kolaylığının anlaşılması, geniş çaplı uygulamayı kolaylaştırmak için gereklidir.

Keywords

• bor bazlı nanomalzemeler
• bor nitrür
• çevresel sürdürülebilirlik
• su arıtma
• kirletici maddelerin giderilmesi
• karbon yakalama
• toksikolojik değerlendirme

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