Role of bionanohybrids for pollutant removal in wastewater environment

The Water contamination is a global issue; in this regard, we need to explore and develop efficient methods for pollutant removal from the water environment. Nanohybrids (NHs) and bionanohybrids (BNHs) photocatalysts have played a dynamic role in pollutant removal such as organic compounds and inorganic elements, from wastewater environment. Four types of NHs are majorly involved in pollutant removal: carbon–carbon, metal–metal, carbon–metal, and organic molecule-coated. These NHs and BNHs possess multifunctional characteristics and remarkable achievements in wastewater treatment, biomedical, agricultural, and industrial applications. Recently, researchers have developed different types of BNHs and found good achievements in dye (methyl orange, rhodamine B, and methylene blue) and heavy metal (cadmium, copper, chromium, lead, mercury, and nickel) removal from wastewater with an eco-friendly approach. In this review the major BNHs are cellulose, chitosan, gelatin, pectin, and silk proteins involved in the pollutant removal in water environments.