Multifunctional magnetic sphere-MoS2@Au hybrid for surface-enhanced Raman scattering detection and visible light photo-Fenton degradation of aromatic dyes

Au nanoparticles decorated β-Bi2O3 as highly-sensitive SERS substrate for detection of methylene blue and methyl orange

In this work, Au/Bi2O3 was synthesized by loading Au nanoparticles (NPs) onto β-Bi2O3 by a simple solution reduction method. β-Bi2O3 was synthesized by a precipitation-thermal decomposition procedure, which results in significantly improved SERS detection limits down to 10-9 M for methylene blue (MB) and 10-7 M for methyl orange (MO) as probe molecules, comparable to those reported for the best semiconductor SERS substrates. In particular, further deposition of Au NPs (5.20% wt%) onto β-Bi2O3 results in a two-order-of-magnitude enhancement in detection sensitivity, achieving a detection limit of 10-11 M for MB and 10-9 M for MO. Under ultraviolet/visible irradiation, the Au/Bi2O3 hybrids substrate exhibits superior self-cleaning ability due to its photocatalytic degradation ability which can be applied repeatedly to the detection of pollutants. The advanced composite substrate simultaneously achieved ultra-low mass loading of Au NPs, outstanding detection performance, good reproducibility, high stability and self-cleaning ability. The development strategy of low load noble metal coupled high performance semiconductor β-Bi2O3 to obtain nano-hybrid materials provides a method to balance SERS sensitivity, cost effectiveness and operational stability, and can be synthesized in large quantities, which is a key step towards commercialization and has good reliability prospects.

Green and sustainable self-cleaning flexible SERS base: Utilized for cyclic-detection of residues on apple surface

Advances in flexible SERS substrates has made it possible to approach the ultimate goal of rapid in-situ monitoring of fruit and vegetable safety, but its vulnerability under laser ablation results in low utilization. In order to solve this problem, a 3D framework of TiO2-doped PVDF\PVP polymer was utilized to self-assemble gold-silver core-shell nanorods (Au@Ag NRs) to prepare a flexible SERS substrate with good physical stability and self-cleaning properties. This substrate showed excellent detection limit and recyclability after the detection of three pesticide residues in apple peel. The LOD of methyl-parathion (MP) was as low as 0.037 ng/cm2, with an RSD of 5.61 % for 5 cycle-detection. The recoveries of two additional pesticides thiram (TMTD) and chlorpyrifos (CPF) were 86.32 %-112.47 %. We hoped that this research will contribute to providing a recyclable and facile method for in-situ analysis of fruit and vegetable surface residues and functional manufacture of flexible SERS substrates.

High SERS performance of functionalized carbon dots in the detection of dye contaminants

INTRODUCTION

The long-term overuse of malachite green (MG) has potential carcinogenic, teratogenic, and mutagenic effects. The functional nanocomposite is novel and challenging to construct and implement through surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) strategy to reveal the contributions in application.

OBJECTIVES

The novel Ag-CDs (carbon dots)-PBA (phenyl boric acid) nanocomposite was constructed by a facile route to detect toxic MG molecule with high SERS sensitivity and good uniformity.

METHODS

The enhanced substrate used for the detection of MG has been successfully constructed using PBA modulated Ag-CDs on a structured surface with rich binding sites.

RESULTS

The fabricated Ag-CDs-PBA substrate can be used to analyze various probe molecules exhibiting high sensitivity, good signal reproducibility, and excellent stability. The mechanism between components has been proved by calculations originating from the plasmonic Ag and active electronic transmission among the bridging CDs and PBA via the close spatial π-π effect. In addition, the accelerated separation of electron-hole pairs was triggered to further improve the SERS activity of the hybrid via a bidirectional charge transfer (CT) process. Significantly, the Ag-CDs-PBA system shows distinctive selectivity, in which PBA can hinder the interference of other species without specific hydroxyl groups.

CONCLUSION

Based on this deeper insight on plasmon-mediated mechanism, the SERS substrate was successfully practiced for quantitative determination in real water and fish samples. The strategy developed promises to be a new sensor technology and has great potential for environmental and food safety applications.

Photochemical decoration of gold nanoparticles on MoS2 nanoflowers grafted onto the flexible carbon cloth as a recyclable SERS sensor for the detection of antibiotic residues on curved surfaces

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-based flexible substrate has recently been demonstrated to be effective in detecting molecules on curved surfaces, however a suitable method for fabricating the flexible SERS substrate still remains a hurdle. In this paper, we fabricated a flexible SERS substrate by anchoring the plasmonic gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) onto the hydrothermally grown flower-like molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) grafted onto carbon cloth (CC) via a facile photoreduction route. Benefitting from the abundant hotspots generation of the Au-NPs and photo-induced charge-transfer ability of MoS2, the constructed Au-NPs/MoS2/CC substrate exhibit a superior SERS sensing ability, excellent SERS enhancement factor, high flexibility and mechanical stability towards the nitrofurantoin (NFT) with an ultra-low detection limit of 10-11 M. As a trial for practical applications, the flexible substrate was used to detect NFT (10-4 M) in the curved surfaces of meat samples via swab technique. The ability of the flexible Au-NPs/MoS2/CC substrate to sustain the robust Raman signals of NFT even after recycling up to 4 cycles validated its reusability. The proposed flexible SERS substrate with reusable capability indicates its great potential in practical applications for the detection of target molecules on the curved surfaces.

ZnO nanorods decorated with Ag nanoflowers as a recyclable SERS substrate for rapid detection of pesticide residue in multiple-scenes

Pesticide residues threaten the ecological environment and human health. Therefore, developing high performance SERS substrate to achieve highly sensitive detection of pesticide residues is meaningful. In this study, based on the strategy of combining "hot spots" engineering and material hybridization, we construct a novel hybrid SERS substrate by depositing Ag nanoflowers (NFs) on ZnO nanorods (NRs). Benefiting from the synergistic effect of electromagnetic enhancement and charge transfer effect, the Ag NFs@ZnO NRs substrate exhibits a low detection limit (10^-13 M) for crystal violet molecules. This SERS substrate has good uniformity with a relative standard deviation of 7.463 %. Besides, owning to the photocatalytic property of ZnO NRs, the hybrid substrate can degrade probe molecules after SERS detection and realize recyclability. As a demonstration, we employed our SERS substrate for the trace detection of pesticide residues on apple surface and in river water. This study provides a new idea for improving the SERS performance of hybrid substrates.

MoS2/Au Heterojunction Catalyst for SERS Monitoring of a Fenton-like Reaction

Fenton technology is one of advanced oxidation process (AOP) methods to treat wastewater through chemical oxidation. Due to the limitations of classical iron-based catalysts, it is still challenging to find suitable catalysts for Fenton-like reactions. Here, MoS₂/Au heterojunctions were successfully synthesized by reduction of chloroauric acid in the solution of layered MoS₂ prepared by hydrothermal method. As a model molecule, methylene blue (MB) was used as the species to be degraded to evaluate the performance of the catalyst. It was determined by UV-visible spectra that the optimal catalyst can be obtained when MoS₂ (mg): HAuCl₄ (wt. % mL) is 2:2. The Fenton-like reaction process was monitored by introducing highly sensitive surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The results show that MB can be degraded by 83% in the first 10 min of the reaction, indicating that MoS₂/Au has good catalytic performance. In addition, as a fingerprint spectrum, SERS was used to preliminarily analyze the molecular structure changes during the degradation process. The result showed that C-N-C bond was easier to break than the C-S-C bond. NH₂ group and the fused ring were destroyed at the comparable speed at the first 30 min. In terms of application applicability, it was showed that MB degradation had exceeded 95% at all the three pH values of 1.4, 5.0, and 11.1 after the reaction was carried out for 20 min. The test and analysis of the light environment showed that the catalytic efficiency was significantly improved in the natural light of the laboratory compared to dark conditions. The possible mechanism based on ·OH and ·O₂^- from ESR data was proposed. In addition, it was demonstrated to be a first-order reaction from the perspective of kinetics. This study made a positive contribution to broaden of the applicable conditions and scope of Fenton-like reaction catalysts. It is expected to be used as a non-iron catalyst in practical industrial applications. From the perspective of detection method, we expect to develop SERS as a powerful tool for the in situ monitoring of Fenton-like reactions, and to further deepen our understanding of the mechanism.

Molybdenum Disulfide-Based Nanomaterials for Visible-Light-Induced Photocatalysis

Visible-light-responsive photocatalytic materials have a multitude of important applications, ranging from energy conversion and storage to industrial waste treatment. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) and its variants exhibit high photocatalytic activity under irradiation by visible light as well as good stability and recyclability, which are desirable for all photocatalytic applications. MoS₂-based materials have been widely applied in various fields such as wastewater treatment, environmental remediation, and organic transformation reactions because of their excellent physicochemical properties. The present review focuses on the fundamental properties of MoS₂, recent developments and remaining challenges, and key strategies for tackling issues related to the utilization of MoS₂ in photocatalysis. The application of MoS₂-based materials in visible-light-induced catalytic reactions for the treatment of diverse kinds of pollutants including industrial, environmental, pharmaceutical, and agricultural waste are also critically discussed. The review concludes by highlighting the prospects of MoS₂ for use in various established and emerging areas of photocatalysis.

MoS2-Based Substrates for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering: Fundamentals, Progress and Perspective

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), as an important tool for interface research, occupies a place in the field of molecular detection and analysis due to its extremely high detection sensitivity and fingerprint characteristics. Substantial efforts have been put into the improvement of the enhancement factor (EF) by way of modifying SERS substrates. Recently, MoS2 has emerged as one of the most promising substrates for SERS, which is also exploited as a complementary platform on the conventional metal SERS substrates to optimize the properties. In this minireview, the fundamentals of MoS2-related SERS are first explicated. Then, the synthesis, advances and applications of MoS2-based substrates are illustrated with special emphasis on their practical applications in food safety, biomedical sensing and environmental monitoring, together with the corresponding challenges. This review is expected to arouse broad interest in nonplasmonic MoS2-related materials along with their mechanisms, and to promote the development of SERS studies.

Insights into the degradation mechanisms and pathways of cephalexin during homogeneous and heterogeneous photo-Fenton processes

The widespread occurrence of antibiotics in the environment poses a potential threat to human health. The photo-Fenton process has demonstrated better degradation performance compared with the conventional wastewater treatment processes. In this study, the degradation of cephalexin was evaluated comparatively by homogeneous (Fe²⁺/H₂O₂/UV) and heterogeneous (MoS₂@Fe/H₂O₂/UV) photo-Fenton processes. Key influencing factors affecting photo-Fenton performance were assessed, confirming the optimum Fe²⁺ concentration at 0.2016 mg L^-1 and H₂O₂/Fe²⁺ molar ratio at 6. Higher degradation efficiency (73.10%) and pseudo-first-order degradation rate constant (0.0078 min^-1) were achieved with the assistance of MoS₂@Fe as the heterogeneous catalyst. Completely different degradation products were identified in the homogeneous and heterogeneous photo-Fenton processes, with main degradation pathways proposed as β-lactam ring-opening, sulfoxide formation, demethylation, N-dealkylation, decarbonylation, hydroxylation and deamination in the Fe²⁺/H₂O₂/UV system and β-lactam ring-opening, hydroxylation, dehydration, amide hydrolysis, and demethylation and ring contraction in the MoS₂@Fe/H₂O₂/UV system, respectively. The formation of newly identified products might root in the attack on cephalexin from active species (i.e., OH, h⁺, e^-, O₂^-) photoinduced by the MoS₂@Fe catalyst. Results also indicated the importance of understanding the underlying mechanisms and pathways to eliminate the antimicrobial activities of antibiotics in the future.

A stable and plug-and-play aluminium/titanium dioxide/metal-organic framework/silver composite sheet for sensitive Raman detection and photocatalytic removal of 4-aminothiophenol

The sensitive detection and rapid removal of 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP, a poisonous pesticide) demand special design to potential substrates. Herein, a metal-organic framework (ZIF-8) and Ag nanoparticles were fabricated one by one on the TiO₂ coated Al sheet, and thus the Al-TiO₂-ZIF-8-Ag sheet with sandwich structure was successfully synthesized. The cost-effective Al-TiO₂-ZIF-8-Ag sheet (3.7 wt% Ag) possessed a low detection concentration of 1 × 10^-9 M towards 4-ATP, and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) analytical enhanced factor (AEF) of the Al-TiO₂-ZIF-8-Ag was 2.6 × 10⁶, which was higher than other similar substrates. Furthermore, 4-ATP can be selectively and repeatedly detected on the Al-TiO₂-ZIF-8-Ag even through it was in real samples. It indicated that the Al-TiO₂-ZIF-8-Ag was a very active and stable SERS materials for the monitoring of 4-ATP. Importantly, the substrate exhibited faster and more efficient photocatalytic activity for 4-ATP degradation. The SERS and photocatalytic mechanisms of 4-ATP on the Al-TiO₂-ZIF-8-Ag substrate were proposed. The cost-effective Al-TiO₂-ZIF-8-Ag sheet with double function is plug-and-play, and could be used in the detection and treatment of pollutants in wastewater.

Forward osmosis membranes for high-efficiency desalination with Nano-MoS2 composite substrates

Attractive membranes are critical for improving efficiencies of forward osmosis (FO) desalination process. In this study, a novel FO-PES-MoS₂ thin film composite (TFC) membrane was assembled using the phase transfer method through merging MoS₂ nanosheets into substrate casting solution. A sequence of characterization techniques was applied to test microstructures and physicochemical properties of the membranes and modification mechanisms based on MoS₂ concentrations. Desalination efficiencies of the fabricated membranes were assessed by three NaCl draw solutions. Compared to the blank membrane, the MoS₂-contained membranes had a thinner active layer, more upright and open pore structure, higher porosity, and lower surface roughness. 1 wt% MoS₂ content was the optimal modification condition, and water flux increased by 35.01% under this condition. Simultaneously, reverse salt flux of the FO-PES-1-MoS₂ membrane declined by 29.15% under 1 M NaCl draw solution, indicating increased salt ion rejection performance of the modified membranes. Moreover, J_s/J_v ratio indicated that MoS₂ nanosheets helped stabilize the desalination performance of the membranes. This study demonstrated that the novel FO-PES-MoS₂ TFC membranes possessed improved performances and showed promising properties for saline water desalination.

Coupling enhancement mechanisms, materials, and strategies for surface-enhanced Raman scattering devices

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has become one of the most sensitive analytical techniques for identifying the chemical components, molecular structures, molecular conformations, and the interactions between molecules. However, great challenges still need to be addressed until it can be widely accepted by the absolute quantification of analytes. Recently, many efforts have been devoted to addressing these issues via various electromagnetic (EM), chemical (CM), and EM-CM hybrid coupling enhancement strategies. In comparison with uncoupled SERS devices, they offer key advantages in terms of sensitivity, reproducibility, uniformity, stability, controllability and reliability. This review provides an in-depth analysis of coupled SERS devices, including coupling enhancement mechanisms, materials and approaches. Finally, we also discuss the remaining bottlenecks and possible strategies for the development of coupling-enhanced SERS devices in the future.

Magnetic Nanoparticle Composites: Synergistic Effects and Applications

Composite materials are made from two or more constituent materials with distinct physical or chemical properties that, when combined, produce a material with characteristics which are at least to some degree different from its individual components. Nanocomposite materials are composed of different materials of which at least one has nanoscale dimensions. Common types of nanocomposites consist of a combination of two different elements, with a nanoparticle that is linked to, or surrounded by, another organic or inorganic material, for example in a core-shell or heterostructure configuration. A general family of nanoparticle composites concerns the coating of a nanoscale material by a polymer, SiO2 or carbon. Other materials, such as graphene or graphene oxide (GO), are used as supports forming composites when nanoscale materials are deposited onto them. In this Review we focus on magnetic nanocomposites, describing their synthetic methods, physical properties and applications. Several types of nanocomposites are presented, according to their composition, morphology or surface functionalization. Their applications are largely due to the synergistic effects that appear thanks to the co-existence of two different materials and to their interface, resulting in properties often better than those of their single-phase components. Applications discussed concern magnetically separable catalysts, water treatment, diagnostics-sensing and biomedicine.

UiO-66 metal-organic frameworks/gold nanoparticles based substrates for SERS analysis of food samples

Recently, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) based substrates have shown great potential for the quantitative analysis of food samples by surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) due to their unique properties. Herein, we developed two UiO-66 MOFs/gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) based substrates by self-assembly, including UiO-66/AuNPs suspension substrate and UiO-66(NH₂)/AuNPs/Nylon-66 flexible membrane substrate, for quantitative analysis of complex food samples by SERS. UiO-66/AuNPs suspension substrate was prepared for SERS-based determination of a carcinogenic heterocyclic amine in barbecue meat. UiO-66(NH₂)/AuNPs/Nylon-66 membrane substrate was fabricated for the simultaneous separation, enrichment, and in situ analysis of Sudan Red 7B in chilli products. The heterocyclic amine and Sudan dye in real samples could be detected and quantified with the recoveries of 82.3-110% and 84.5-114% and relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 3.1-11.0% and 1.9-5.6% (n = 3) by use of these two substrates, respectively. These two UiO-66/AuNPs based substrates combined molecular enrichment and SERS activity, achieving excellent analytical accuracy and widening SERS application in practical food safety analysis.

Bimetallic AgNPs@dopamine modified-halloysite nanotubes-AuNPs for adenine determination using surface-enhanced Raman scattering

A bimetallic nanoparticles modified halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) hybrid was prepared by embedding AgNPs and modifying AuNPs on the inner or outer wall of dopamine-modified HNTs (DHNTs) in sequence. The resulting bimetallic AgNPs@DHNTs-AuNPs hybrid as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate exhibited improved enhancement ability over monometallic AgNPs@DHNTs, and DHNTs-AuNPs substrates, with intensity ratios of about 48:1:9 (crystal violet) and 11:1:2 (p-phenylenediamine). The giant SERS effect of AgNPs@DHNTs-AuNPs substrate is probably attributed to the synergetic enhancement of the electromagnetic field (Au/Ag), optical plasmon force, molecular enrichment (HNTs), and charge transfer (NPs-dopamine-molecules). The sensitive and reproductive AgNPs@DHNTs-AuNPs substrate was applied for SERS determination of adenine with a linear range of 0.010-0.50 mg·L^-1 and a detection limit of 2.2 μg·L^-1. The SERS method enables the rapid determination of adenine in fish, chicken kidney and heart, and serum samples, with recoveries of 83.5-121.6% and relative standard deviations of 2.5-7.9%. The SERS substrate has high value for rapid analysis of food and biomarker determinations. Schematic illustration of the preparation of AgNPs@HNTs-AuNPs for SERS analysis of adenine in complex sample.

Accurate SERS monitoring of the plasmon mediated UV/visible/NIR photocatalytic and photothermal catalytic process involving Ag@carbon dots

The excited carriers (electrons and holes) and heat energy that originate from plasmonic metal nanomaterials are crucial to the enhancement of the photocatalytic performance. In this study, an Ag@carbon dots (Ag@CDs) hybrid has been prepared with excellent Fenton-like photocatalytic and photothermal conversion properties for catalyzing H₂O₂ to generate hydroxyl radicals (˙OH) for the degradation of crystal violet (CV) dye under full solar spectrum irradiation based on a unique plasmon effect. We have obtained some intrinsic kinetics information, including the reaction rate and apparent activation energy on the surface of the Ag@CDs, through a surface-enhanced Raman scattering strategy to investigate the contributions made by photocatalytic and photothermal effects in the plasmon mediated reaction under irradiation from ultraviolet (UV)/visible/near-infrared (NIR) light. In the visible light region, the Ag@CDs + H₂O₂ system exhibits the fastest apparent reaction rate owing to the involvement of a large number of hot carriers, which are generated by the strongest plasmon effect, and the presence of the photothermal effect mediated by the plasmonic effect. As the wavelength of the illumination blue-shifts to the UV region, the plasmon effect is weakened, resulting in a decrease in the number of hot carriers. Furthermore, the hot carriers will not be further thermalized because of interband transitions. In addition, the catalytic performance of Ag@CDs in the NIR region is almost dominated by the photothermal effect. This work provides deep insights into understanding the plasmon-mediated photocatalytic mechanism of the Ag@CDs hybrid.

In Situ Recyclable Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering-Based Detection of Multicomponent Pesticide Residues on Fruits and Vegetables by the Flower-like MoS2@Ag Hybrid Substrate

Pesticides, extensively used in agriculture production, have received enormous attention because of their potential threats to the environment and human health. Hence, in this study, a kind of highly sensitive and stable hybrid surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-active substrates constructed with flower-like two-dimensional molybdenum sulfide and Ag (MoS₂@Ag) has been developed, and then the above substrate was sequentially utilized in the recyclable detection of pesticide residues on several kinds of fruits and vegetables. In the first place, the excellent photocatalytic performance of the MoS₂@Ag hybrid substrate was demonstrated, which was attributed to the inhibition of electron-hole combination after the formation of Schottky barrier between the Ag NPs and MoS₂ matrix. Thereafter, two calibration curves with ultra-low limits of detection (LOD) as 6.4 × 10^-7 and 9.8 × 10^-7 mg/mL were established for the standard solutions of thiram (tetramethylthiuram disulfide, TMTD) and methyl parathion (MP), and then the recyclable assay of their single and mixed residues on eggplant, Chinese cabbage, grape, and strawberry was successfully realized. It is interesting to note that the detection recoveries from 95.5 to 63.1% for TMTD and 92.3 to 62.6% for MP are greatly dependent on the size and surface roughness of these foods. In a word, the MoS₂@Ag composite matrix shows attractive SERS and photocatalysis performance, and it is expected to have the potential application on food safety monitoring.

CoFe2O4@HNTs/AuNPs Substrate for Rapid Magnetic Solid-Phase Extraction and Efficient SERS Detection of Complex Samples All-in-One

Fast and accurate practical sample detection is a great challenge in on-site detection. Herein, we developed a CoFe₂O₄@HNTs/AuNPs substrate for rapid and efficient magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection of aromatic amines and nitrofuran in real samples all-in-one. Magnetic CoFe₂O₄ beads filled inside halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) can avoid aggregation of particles, endow the substrate with the rapid magnetic separation ability to simplify the pretreatment procedure, and reduce complex matrix interference. Meanwhile, outer surface AuNPs can generate electromagnetic enhancement and hot spots to amplify Raman signals of target molecules enriched/concentrated by HNTs. The CoFe₂O₄@HNTs/AuNPs substrate exhibited excellent SERS activity (high sensitivity, good reproducibility, and repeatability), pH stability (3.0-11.0), and good MSPE ability (fast magnetic enrichment/separation ability within 5 min). The CoFe₂O₄@HNTs/AuNPs MSPE SERS substrate can be applied for the determination of 4,4'-thioaniline and nitrofurantoin with a linear range of 0.054-21.7 mg/L and 0.05-1.0 mg/L, and the limits of detection were down to 0.026 mg/L and 0.014 mg/L, respectively. Furthermore, the enhancement factor (EF) of the substrate to 4,4'-thioaniline is up to 2.7 × 10⁷. Besides, the substrate can realize practical SERS determination of trace 4,4-thioaniline in cosmetics and nitrofurantoin in fish feed and aquatic samples. The recoveries were varied from 71.6% to 103.6% for 4,4-thioaniline in hair dyes and 81.9% to 116.3% for nitrofurantoin in fish feed and aquatic samples, respectively. Such a robust and efficient MSPE SERS substrate possesses great potential in rapid detection (within 15 min) for a practical sample, and it also provides a methodology for the preparation of other HNTs-based composites.

The Nanosized Dye Adsorbents for Water Treatment

Clean water is a vital element for survival of any living creature and, thus, crucially important to achieve largely and economically for any nation worldwide. However, the astonishingly fast trend of industrialization and population growth and the arisen extensive water pollutions have challenged access to clean water across the world. In this regard, 1.6 million tons of dyes are annually consumed. Thereof, 10%–15% are wasted during use. To decolorize water streams, there is an urgent need for the advanced remediation approaches involving utilization of novel materials and technologies, which are cost and energy efficient. Nanomaterials, with their outstanding physicochemical properties, can potentially resolve the challenge of need to water treatment in a less energy demanding manner. In this review, a variety of the most recent (from 2015 onwards) opportunities arisen from nanomaterials in different dimensionalities, performances, and compositions for water decolorization is introduced and discussed. The state-of-the-art research studies are presented in a classified manner, particularly based on structural dimensionality, to better illustrate the current status of adsorption-based water decolorization using nanomaterials. Considering the introduction of many newly developed nano-adsorbents and their classification based on the dimensionality factor, which has never been employed for this sake in the related literature, a comprehensive review will be presented.