An enormous number of specific case studies have been reported that deal with the removal methodologies customarily employed for the reduction of common aqua-soluble pollutants [particularly nitrophenols (NPs) and nitroaniline (NAs)]. However, reviews that not only organize the literature in some presentable form but also work as a guideline for new scholars looking to exploit the field of nanocatalysis are surprisingly non-existent. Here in, an attempt has been made to comprehensively summarize the basic issues along with an insight to specific contributions devoted to NAs and NPs removal by utilizing the nanomaterial of silver. Furthermore, keeping in mind the significance of the surface functionalization of nanomaterial in catalysis, advantages/disadvantages of several entrapment mediums generally adopted for preventing the aggregation of nanomaterial are also summarized. A generalized overview of the various commonly employed removal practices along with its comparison to the catalytic reductive technique is also presented in the study. Finally, remaining unaddressed problems associated with this field and future directions for engineering cost-efficient and effective nanocatalyst assemblies are discussed in the end.

Silver Nanoparticles Nitroaniline Nitrophenols Catalytic Reduction Review

Marambio-Jones C, Hoek EM, J. Nanopart. Res., 12, 1531 (2010)
West JL, Halas NJ, Annu. Rev. Biomed. Eng., 5, 285 (2003)
Chen A, Chatterjee S, Chem. Soc. Rev., 42, 5425 (2013)
Zhou ZY, Tian N, Li JT, Broadwell I, Sun SG, Chem. Soc. Rev., 40, 4167 (2011)
Webster TJ, Waid MC, McKenzie JL, Price RL, Ejiofor JU, Nanotechnology, 15, 48 (2003)
Fernandez-Fernandez A, Manchanda R, McGoron AJ, Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol., 165(7-8), 1628 (2011)
Haruta M, Catal. Today, 36(1), 153 (1997)
Garrido-Ramirez E, Theng B, Mora M, Appl. Clay Sci., 47, 182 (2010)
Noguez C, J. Phys. Chem. C, 111, 3806 (2007)
Bhosale MA, Bhanage BM, Curr. Org. Chem., 19, 708 (2015)
Ajmal M, Farooqi ZH, Siddiq M, Korean J. Chem. Eng., 30(11), 2030 (2013)
Farooqi ZH, Khan SR, Hussain T, Begum R, Ejaz K, Majeed S, Ajmal M, Kanwal F, Siddiq M, Korean J. Chem. Eng., 31(9), 1674 (2014)
Daniel MC, Astruc D, Chem. Rev., 104(1), 293 (2004)
Prabhu S, Poulose EK, Int. Nano Lett., 2, 1 (2012)
Rycenga M, Cobley CM, Zeng J, Li WY, Moran CH, Zhang Q, Qin D, Xia YN, Chem. Rev., 111(6), 3669 (2011)
Morones JR, Elechiguerra JL, Camacho A, Holt K, Kouri JB, Ramirez JT, Yacaman MJ, Nanotechnology, 16, 2346 (2005)
Rai M, Yadav A, Gade A, Biotechnol. Adv., 27, 76 (2009)
Aslan K, Zhang J, Lakowicz JR, Geddes CD, J. Fluoresc., 14, 391 (2004)
Hussain I, Brust M, Papworth AJ, Cooper AI, Langmuir, 19(11), 4831 (2003)
Farooqi ZH, Ijaz A, Begum R, Naseem K, Usman M, Ajmal M, Saeed U, Polym. Composite. (2016).
Hussain T, Jabeen S, Shehzad K, Mujahid A, Ahmad MN, Farooqi ZH, Raza MH, Polym. Composite. (2016).
Farooqi ZH, Naseem K, Ijaz A, Begum R, J. Polym. Eng., 36, 87 (2016)
Gulina LB, Pchelkina AA, Nikolaev KG, Navolotskaya DV, Ermakov SS, Tolstoy VP (2016).
Kaushik M, Moores A, Green Chem., 18, 622 (2016)
Manojkumar K, Sivaramakrishna A, Vijayakrishna K, J. Nanopart. Res., 18, 1 (2016)
Farooqi ZH, Tariq N, Begum R, Khan SR, Iqbal Z, Khan A, Turkish J. Chem., 39, 576 (2015)
Najeeb J, Butt MA, Ahmad AS, IJIR, 2, 266 (2016)
Farooqi ZH, Sakhawat T, Khan SR, Kanwal F, Usman M, Begum R, Mater. Sci-Poland, 33, 185 (2015)
Corma A, Garcia H, Chem. Soc. Rev., 37, 2096 (2008)
Eustis S, El-Sayed MA, Chem. Soc. Rev., 35, 209 (2006)
Gupta VK, J. Environ. Manage., 90, 2313 (2009)
Robinson T, McMullan G, Marchant R, Nigam P, Bioresour. Technol., 77(3), 247 (2001)
Dabrowski A, Podkoscielny P, Hubicki Z, Barczak M, Chemosphere, 58, 1049 (2005)
Kidak R, Ince NH, Ultrason. Sonochem., 13, 195 (2006)
Tafesh AM, Weiguny J, Chem. Rev., 96(6), 2035 (1996)
Snellinx Z, Nepovim A, Taghavi S, Vangronsveld J, Vanek T, van der Lelie D, Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res., 9, 48 (2002)
Ghosh BK, Hazra S, Naik B, Ghosh NN, Powder Technol., 269, 371 (2015)
Stockinger H, Heinzle E, Kut OM, Environ. Sci. Technol., 29, 2016 (1995)
Hu J, Dong YL, Rahman ZU, Ma YH, Ren CL, Chen XG, Chem. Eng. J., 254, 514 (2014)
Rehman SU, Siddiq M, Al-Lohedan H, Sahiner N, Chem. Eng. J., 265, 201 (2015)
Rieger PG, Knackmuss HJ, Environ. Sci. Res., 49, 1 (1995)
Begum R, Rehan R, Farooqi ZH, Butt Z, Ashraf S, J. Nanopart. Res., 18, 231 (2016)
Pandey S, Mishra SB, Carbohydr. Polym., 113, 525 (2014)
Jaworska JS, Schultz TW, Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf., 29, 200 (1994)
Lu GH, Yuan X, Zhao YH, Chemosphere, 44, 437 (2001)
Meijers A, Van Der Leer RC, Water Res., 10, 597 (1976)
Li KQ, Zheng Z, Huang XF, Zhao GH, Feng JW, Zhang JB, J. Hazard. Mater., 166(1), 213 (2009)
Al-Bayati TM, Part. Sci. Technol., 32(6), 616 (2014)
Mohammed SA, Hameed MS, IJCET, 6, 544 (2016)
Zhang Q, Fan X, Wang H, Chen S, Quan X, RSC Adv., 6, 41114 (2016)
Li HG, Yu P, Luo YB, Chem. Eng. Technol., 38(1), 131 (2015)
Zhong ZX, Li WX, Xing WH, Xu NP, Sep. Purif. Technol., 76(3), 223 (2011)
Bornick H, Eppinger P, Grischek T, Worch E, Water Res., 35, 619 (2001)
Chen M, Liu P, Wang C, Ren W, Diao G, New J. Chem., 38, 4566 (2014)
Ozbelge TA, Ozbelge OH, Baskaya SZ, Chem. Eng. Process., 41(8), 719 (2002)
Afzal A, Pourrezaei P, Ding N, Moustafa A, Hwang G, et al., Water Environ. Res., 83, 994 (2011)
Chelme-Ayala P, Afzal A, Ding N, Moustafa A, Pourrezaei P, et al., Water Environ. Res., 84, 971 (2012)
Hu H, Xin JH, Hu H, Wang X, Miao D, Liu Y, J. Mater. Chem. A, 3, 11157 (2015)
Kumar A, Kumar S, Kumar S, Gupta DV, J. Hazard. Mater., 147(1-2), 155 (2007)
Li JM, Meng XG, Hu CW, Du J, Bioresour. Technol., 100(3), 1168 (2009)
Allen SJ, Koumanova B, Kircheva Z, Nenkova S, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 44(7), 2281 (2005)
Salam MA, J. Ind. Eng. Chem., 28, 67 (2015)
Wu G, Wu G, Zhang Q, Desalin. Water Treat., 57, 26448 (2016)
Zheng K, Pan B, Zhang Q, Zhang WM, Pan BJ, Han YH, Zhang QR, Wei D, Cu ZW, Zhang QX, Sep. Purif. Technol., 57(2), 250 (2007)
Kalwar NH, Sirajuddin, Sherazi STH, Khaskheli AR, Hallam KR, Scott TB, Tagar ZA, Hassan SS, Soomro RA, Appl. Catal. A: Gen., 453, 54 (2013)
Sarswat A, Mohan D, RSC Adv., 6, 85390 (2016)
Sebti S, Mediterr. J. Chem., 4, 289 (2015)
Bada SO, Potgieter JH, Afolabi AS, Part. Sci. Technol., 31(1), 1 (2013)
Dhorabe PT, Lataye DH, Ingole RS, Water Sci. Technol., 73, 955 (2016)
Liu F, Wu Z, Wang D, Yu J, Jiang X, Chen X, Colloids Surf. A: Physicochem. Eng. Asp., 490, 207 (2016)
El-Shahat M, Shehata A, Int. J. Emerging Technol. Adv. Eng., 4, 423 (2014)
Begum R, Farooqi ZH, Ahmed E, Naseem K, Ashraf S, Sharif A, Rehan R, Appl. Organomet. Chem. (2016).
Liu S, Yang MQ, Zhang N, Xu YJ, J. Energy Chem., 23, 145 (2014)
Shah M, Guo QX, Fu Y, Catal. Commun., 65, 85 (2015)
Ravichandran C, Vasudevan D, Anantharaman P, J. Appl. Electrochem., 22, 1192 (1992)
Pearce C, Lloyd J, Guthrie J, Dyes Pigment., 58, 179 (2003)
Zhang Y, Zhu P, Chen L, Li G, Zhou F, Lu DD, Sun R, Zhou F, Wong CP, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2, 11966 (2014)
Farooqi ZH, Naseem K, Begum R, Ijaz A, J. Inorg. Organomet. Polym., 25, 1554 (2015)
Dong ZP, Le XD, Li XL, Zhang W, Dong CX, Ma JT, Appl. Catal. B: Environ., 158, 129 (2014)
Zhou Q, Qian GZ, Li Y, Zhao G, Chao YW, Zheng JW, Thin Solid Films, 516(6), 953 (2008)
Khan SR, Farooqi ZH, Ajmal M, Siddiq M, Khan A, J. Dispersion Sci. Technol., 34, 1324 (2013)
Wunder S, Polzer F, Lu Y, Mei Y, Ballauff M, J. Phys. Chem. C, 114, 8814 (2010)
Dai Y, Yu P, Zhang XJ, Zhuo RX, J. Catal., 337, 65 (2016)
Krajczewski J, Kolataj K, Kudelski A, Appl. Surf. Sci., 388, 624 (2016)
Pretzer LA, Heck KN, Kim SS, Fang YL, Zhao Z, Guo N, Wu TP, Miller JT, Wong MS, Catal. Today, 264, 31 (2016)
Sapurina I, Stejskal J, Sedenkova I, Trchova M, Kovarova J, et al., Synth. Met., 214, 14 (2016)
Wang CL, Salmon L, Li Q, Igartua ME, Moya S, Ciganda R, Ruiz J, Astruc D, Inorg. Chem., 55(13), 6776 (2016)
Zhao S, Das A, Zhang H, Jin R, Song Y, Jin R, Prog. Nat. Sci-Mater. Int., 26, 483 (2016)
Mohanta J, Satapathy S, Si S, ChemphysChem, 17, 364 (2016)
Gopinath V, Priyadarshini S, MubarakAli D, Loke MF, Thajuddin N, Alharbi NS, Yadavalli T, Alagiri M, Vadivelu J, Arab. J. Chem. (2016).
Ramakrishna M, Babu DR, Gengan RM, Chandra S, Rao GN, J. Nanostruct. Chem., 6, 1 (2016)
Madavi AB, Nandanwar SU, Chakraborty M, Particul. Sci. Technol. (2016) (just-accepted).
Anantharaj S, Sakthikumar K, Elangovan A, Ravi G, Karthik T, Kundu S, J. Colloid Interface Sci., 483, 360 (2016)
Blosi M, Albonetti S, Costa AL, Sangiorgi N, Sanson A, Chem. Eng. J., 215, 616 (2013)
Mishra K, Poudel TN, Basavegowda N, Lee YR, J. Catal., 344, 273 (2016)
Zou H, Shang M, Ren G, Wang W, J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 133, 43933 (2016)
Ballarin B, Cassani MC, Tonelli D, Boanini E, Albonetti S, Blosi M, Gazzano M, Phys. Chem. C, 114, 9693 (2010)
Li H, Liao J, Du Y, You T, Liao W, Wen L, Chem. Commun., 49, 1768 (2013)
Zhang Z, Shao C, Zou P, Zhang P, Zhang M, Mu J, Guo Z, Li X, Wang C, Liu Y, Chem. Commun., 47, 3906 (2011)
Holden MS, Nick KE, Hall M, Milligan JR, Chen Q, Perry CC, RSC Adv., 4, 52279 (2014)
Jiang ZJ, Liu CY, Sun LW, J. Phys. Chem. B, 109(5), 1730 (2005)
Li M, Chen G, Nanoscale, 5, 11919 (2013)
Evanoff DD, Chumanov G, J. Phys. Chem. B, 108(37), 13948 (2004)
Sileikaite A, Puiso J, Prosycevas I, Tamulevicius S, Mater. Sci. Medzg., 15, 21 (2009)
Kim KD, Han DN, Kim HT, Chem. Eng. J., 104(1-3), 55 (2004)
Gao X, Gu G, Hu Z, Guo Y, Fu X, Song J, Colloids Surf. A: Physicochem. Eng. Asp., 254, 57 (2005)
Liu J, Li X, Zeng X, J. Alloy. Compd., 494, 84 (2010)
Huang H, Yang X, Carbohydr. Res., 339, 2627 (2004)
Chou KS, Lu YC, Lee HH, Mater. Chem. Phys., 94(2-3), 429 (2005)
Bhatte KD, Deshmukh KM, Patil YP, Sawant DN, Fujita SI, Arai M, Bhanage BM, Particuology, 10, 140 (2012)
Luo CC, Zhang YH, Zeng XW, Zeng YW, Wang YG, J. Colloid Interface Sci., 288(2), 444 (2005)
Merga G, Wilson R, Lynn G, Milosavljevic BH, Meisel D, J. Phys. Chem. C, 111, 12220 (2007)
Pradhan N, Pal A, Pal T, Colloids Surf. A: Physicochem. Eng. Asp., 196, 247 (2002)
Huang J, Vongehr S, Tang S, Lu H, Meng X, J. Phys. Chem. C, 114, 15005 (2010)
Huang JF, Vongehr S, Tang SC, Lu HM, Shen JC, Meng XK, Langmuir, 25(19), 11890 (2009)
Golovina NB, Kustov LM, Mendeleev Commun., 23, 59 (2013)
Henglein A, Chem. Rev., 89, 1861 (1989)
Grzelczak M, Perez-Juste J, Mulvaney P, Liz-Marzan LM, Chem. Soc. Rev., 37, 1783 (2008)
Mondal S, Verma S, Z. Anorg. Allg. Chem., 640, 1095 (2014)
Bastus NG, Merkoci F, Piella J, Puntes V, Chem. Mater., 26, 2836 (2014)
Chadha R, Das A, Maiti N, Kapoor S, Mater. Chem. Phys., 148(3), 1124 (2014)
Eising R, Elias WC, Albuquerque BL, Fort S, Domingos JB, Langmuir, 30(21), 6011 (2014)
Anila, Pal BG, Synthesis and Catalytic Properties of Binary/Core-Shell Coinage Metal (s) Nanostructures (Doctoral dissertation) (2016).
Khan AU, Wei Y, Khan ZUH, Tahir K, Ahmad A, Khan SU, Khan FU, Khan QU, Yuan Q, Sep. Sci. Technol., 51, 1070 (2016)
Edison TNJI, Atchudan R, Kamal C, Lee YR, Bioprocess. Biosyst. Eng., 39, 1401 (2016)
Firdhouse MJ, Lalitha P, J. Nanotechnol., 2015, 1 (2015)
Elias WC, Eising R, Silva TR, Albuquerque BL, Martendal E, Meier L, Domingos JB, J. Phys. Chem. C, 118, 12962 (2014)
Gao H, Sun Y, Zhou J, Xu R, Duan H, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 5, 425 (2013)
Tang S, Vongehr S, Wang Y, Cui J, Wang X, Meng X, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2, 3648 (2014)
Jiang D, Xie J, Chen M, Li D, Zhu J, Qin H, J. Alloy. Compd., 509, 1975 (2011)
Eising R, Signori AM, Fort S, Domingos JB, Langmuir, 27(19), 11860 (2011)
Murugadoss A, Chattopadhyay A, Nanotechnology, 19, 015603 (2007)
Mao Y, Wei J, Wang C, Feng Y, Yang H, Meng X, Mater. Lett., 154, 47 (2015)
Russo M, Armetta F, Riela S, Martino DC, Lo Meo P, Noto R, J. Mol. Catal. A-Chem., 408, 250 (2015)
Tang JT, Shi ZQ, Berry RM, Tam KC, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 54(13), 3299 (2015)
Edison TNJI, Sethuraman MG, Lee YR, Res. Chem. Intermed., 42, 713 (2016)
Esumi K, Suzuki A, Yamahira A, Torigoe K, Langmuir, 16(6), 2604 (2000)
Karg M, Pastoriza-Santos I, Liz-Marzan LM, Hellweg T, ChemphysChem, 7, 2298 (2006)
Lu Y, Ballauff M, Prog. Polym. Sci, 36, 767 (2011)
Lu Y, Mei Y, Drechsler M, Ballauff M, Angew. Chem.-Int. Edit., 45, 813 (2006)
Oh JK, Drumright R, Siegwart DJ, Matyjaszewski K, Prog. Polym. Sci, 33, 448 (2008)
Lu J, Fu Y, Song Y, Wang D, Lu C, RSC Adv., 6, 14247 (2016)
Li S, Lin D, Zhou J, Zha L, J. Phys. Chem. C, 120, 4902 (2016)
Xie L, Chen M, Wu LM, J. Polym. Sci. A: Polym. Chem., 47(19), 4919 (2009)
Saha S, Pal A, Kundu S, Basu S, Pal T, Langmuir, 26, 2885 (2009)
Ai LH, Jiang J, Bioresour. Technol., 132, 374 (2013)
Rashid MH, Mandal TK, J. Phys. Chem. C, 111, 16750 (2007)
Jana S, Ghosh SK, Nath S, Pande S, Praharaj S, Panigrahi S, Basu S, Endo T, Pal T, Appl. Catal. A: Gen., 313(1), 41 (2006)
Liu ZL, Wang XD, Wu HY, Li CX, J. Colloid Interface Sci., 287(2), 604 (2005)
Esumi K, Miyamoto K, Yoshimura T, J. Colloid Interface Sci., 254(2), 402 (2002)
Yang QB, Li DM, Hong YL, Li ZY, Wang C, Qiu SL, Wei Y, Synth. Met., 137, 973 (2003)
Zhang C, Yang Q, Zhang N, Sun L, Wang H, Song Y, Li Y, Colloids Surf. A: Physicochem. Eng. Asp., 362, 58 (2010)
Begum R, Naseem K, Farooqi ZH, J. Sol-Gel Sci. Technol., 77, 497 (2016)
Lu Y, Mei Y, Walker R, Ballauff M, Drechsler M, Polymer, 47(14), 4985 (2006)
Begum R, Naseem K, Ahmed E, Sharif A, Farooqi ZH, Colloids Surf. A: Physicochem. Eng. Asp., 511, 17 (2016)
Esumi K, Isono R, Yoshimura T, Langmuir, 20(1), 237 (2004)
Shah LA, Haleem A, Sayed M, Siddiq M, J. Environ. Chem. Eng., 4, 3492 (2016)
Colunga A, Rangel-Mendez JR, Celis LB, Cervantes FJ, Bioresour. Technol., 175, 309 (2015)
Rao CNR, Sood AK, Subrahmanyam KS, Govindaraj A, Angew. Chem.-Int. Edit., 48, 7752 (2009)
Robinson JT, Perkins FK, Snow ES, Wei Z, Sheehan PE, Nano Lett., 8, 3137 (2008)
Zhang Y, Yuan X, Wang Y, Chen Y, J. Mater. Chem., 22, 7245 (2012)
Yang MQ, Pan X, Zhang N, Xu YJ, CrystEngComm, 15, 6819 (2013)
Zhou X, Huang X, Qi X, Wu S, Xue C, Boey FY, Yan Q, Chen P, Zhang H, J. Phys. Chem. C, 113, 10842 (2009)
Dong ZP, Le XD, Dong CX, Zhang W, Li XL, Ma JT, Appl. Catal. B: Environ., 162, 372 (2015)
Le XD, Dong ZP, Zhang W, Li XL, Ma JT, J. Mol. Catal. A-Chem., 395, 58 (2014)
Celen B, Ekiz D, Piskin E, Demirel G, J. Mol. Catal. A-Chem., 350(1-2), 97 (2011)
Hu H, Wang X, Lee KI, Ma K, Hu H, Xin JH, Sci. Rep., 6, 31815 (2016)
Barman BK, Nanda KK, Chem. Commun., 49, 8949 (2013)
Som T, Troppenz GV, Wendt R, Wollgarten M, Rappich J, Emmerling F, Rademann K, ChemSusChem, 7, 854 (2014)
Xu LQ, Yap BSM, Wang R, Neoh KG, Kang ET, Fu GD, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 53(8), 3116 (2014)
Jiang K, Zhang HX, Yang YY, Mothers R, Lang H, Cai WB, Chem. Commun., 47, 11924 (2011)
Ramalingam S, Devi LB, Rao JR, Nair BU, RSC Adv., 4, 56041 (2014)
Tzounis L, Contreras-Caceres R, Schellkopf L, Jehnichen D, Fischer D, Cai C, Uhlmann P, Stamm M, RSC Adv., 4, 17846 (2014)
Kurtan U, Baykal A, Mater. Res. Bull., 60, 79 (2014)
Mao A, Zhang D, Jin X, Gu X, Wei X, Yang G, Liu X, J. Phys. Chem. Solids, 73, 982 (2012)
Dubey SP, Dwivedi AD, Kim IC, Sillanpaa M, Kwon YN, Lee C, Chem. Eng. J., 244, 160 (2014)