Role of Polymeric Hydrogels in Water Purification: Review

Water sources is contaminated with different types of impurities. Several technologies and materials are used for purification of contaminated water. Most of the reported technologies costly and produce secondary contaminants. Nowa day, researchers are used hydrogels for water purification. Hydrogels are applied drug delivery, catalysis, tissue engineering, sensing and removal of environmental pollutants, applications, and energy storage. Hydrogels have specific functional groups as –COOH, -SO₃H, -OH, CONH₂, -NH₂, -SH and other groups which are responsible for applications. Hydrogels were removes impurities from water through physio-adsorption, chemo-adsorption, sorption and secondary forces. The aim of this review is to explore the preparation method, conceptualization of hydrogels and their uses in water purification. It describes details of toxicants in water, different types of hydrogels and their synthesis methods. These hydrogels were used for water purification and evaluated for removal capacity with respect to toxicants in water. Nowadays hydrogels are modified based on their applications to create specific functionality on hydrogel. Specific hydrogel will be emerging tool for specific applications.