Soft Materials for Wastewater Treatment

In the present era, treatment of industrially polluted wastewater is a challenging task as it requires the use of toxic chemicals and complex procedures during industrial-scale treatment. The contamination of water with toxic metal ions and dyes not only destroys the aquatic species but also produces many adverse effects on many living and nonliving species. Soft materials, including hydrogels, microgels, nanogels, and related nanocomposites, have provided a better alternative to resolve the issues related to water contamination. Recently, the soft materials obtained from natural backbones have become popular due to their unique features such as biodegradability and cost-effectiveness. The desired properties among such materials can be introduced by controlling the cross-linking strategies, fabrication methods, and choice of monomers. This chapter highlights the recent applications and perspectives of soft material-based devices for wastewater treatments. Also, an overview of the challenges faced during wastewater treatments and alternatives to such problems is provided.