Organo-modified layered double hydroxides for wastewater treatment: Opportunities, challenges, and environmental sustainability

Given the growing challenge of treating complex effluents from industrial, agricultural, and urban activities, there is an intensified search for innovative technologies capable of efficient and low-cost water purification. This is especially important considering that many of the contaminants present in these effluents are toxic to living organisms and cannot be satisfactorily removed using conventional techniques. One promising emerging approach involves the use of layered double hydroxides modified with organic compounds (organo-LDH). These hybrid materials exhibit high surface areas, ordered lamellar structures, ion-exchange capacity, and the ability to be chemically functionalized to enhance selectivity for the removal of specific pollutants. Their applications include use as adsorbents, catalysts, and filtration membranes, among other technologies. Although organo-LDH have shown high efficiency under laboratory conditions, few studies have assessed their performance under real conditions and their economic feasibility. Furthermore, life cycle assessment (LCA) is essential to ensure that the environmental benefits provided by these materials are not offset by secondary impacts. This review provides a critical discussion of advances in water decontamination using organo-LDH, highlighting new perspectives that could contribute to consolidating their role in environmental remediation.