Advanced 2D materials for biohydrogen purification

Abstract

Accumulation of waste on the planet has risen to a peak due to elevating industrialization and urbanization on demand of bursting population growth. Outcomes are severe, including global warming, disease outbreaks, the greenhouse effect, and unpredictable natural calamities. It is, therefore, necessary to think about ways to convert the accumulated waste into some useful form. The growing population needs energy for its life-sustaining activities. Energy production from fossil fuels can lead to undesirable climate change. Potential applications such as powering proton exchange membrane fuel cells can be achieved using biohydrogen. Hydrogen is one of the clean, renewable alternative sources of energy that can be derived from waste. This review discusses the various ways of obtaining clean hydrogen from waste, especially using advanced two-dimensional materials. The role of boron-nitrides, layered double hydroxides, graphene oxide derivatives, two-dimensional covalent organic and metal-organic frameworks, two-dimensional zeolites, MXenes, and graphitic carbon nitrides in biohydrogen purification has been presented. The review also provides, in brief, the mechanism and process variables governing biohydrogen purification. Finally, the write-up scrutinizes the challenges faced during the synthesis of two-dimensional advanced materials and also their hydrogen purification performance. © 2026 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.