Engineered Geopolymer Nanocomposites for Sustainable Wastewater Treatment

The increasing need for bioenergy has resulted in greater attention to sustainable wastewater management concepts. These demands have enhanced the review of novel adsorbent and photocatalytic materials for sustainable wastewater treatment technologies. The study systematically reviews the geopolymer-based nanocomposites as a multifunctional material for wastewater treatment. The synthesis techniques, structural modification, adsorption processes, photocatalytic degradation pathways, antimicrobial properties, and prospects for recovering nutrients are considered. The performance of the developed adsorbents is compared with conventional adsorbents in terms of the removal performance, stability, generation capacity, and life cycle influence. The issue of geopolymer nanocomposites is discussed in regard to sustainability as it concerns carbon footprint reduction, incorporation of the aspects of the circular economy, resource recovery, and economic sustainability of the system. Critical concerns such as scalability, long-term stability, and membrane integration are discussed. The adsorption capacities for Pb²⁺ removal are up to 95-450 mg g^-1 and dye removal efficiencies of up to 85%-95% are obtained when geopolymer matrices are functionalized with metal oxide or carbon-based nanomaterials. The research sheds light on the implementation of the advanced geopolymer technologies in wastewater treatment by covering the main issues and opportunities.