Younes Amini, Mohammad Amin Sedghamiz, Amin Hassanvand
Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) are naturally occurring clay minerals with unique nanotubular structures that have attracted increasing interest for a wide range of industrial applications. This review first provides a brief overview of the general structure, key properties, modification methods and emerging applications of HNTs. Particular emphasis is placed on recent advances in HNT-derived materials for water treatment. We focus on the latest developments in using HNT-based nanocomposites for removing heavy metal ions, dyes, and organic pollutants specially oil from wastewater, as well as the incorporation of HNTs into membranes for water filtration. HNT-derived composites demonstrate superior performance in various water treatment processes and show great promise for practical deployment. Finally, we discuss the predominant mechanisms involved in water treatment applications and outline future research directions. This study provides a comprehensive review of the past decade’s research on wastewater treatment using membranes containing HNTs, with a particular emphasis on the treatment of oily wastewater. The review covers both neat and modified HNTs, including various surface modification strategies and the most recent advances in the field. It examines the properties and applications of these nanomaterials, as well as their impact on the structure, morphology, and performance of membranes. By encompassing studies on both unmodified and modified halloysite nanotubes, this review offers a complete perspective on how these materials influence membrane technology for wastewater treatment applications.