Layered Double Hydroxides for Regulating Phosphate in Water to Achieve Long-Term Nutritional Management

Hunger and undernourishment are increasing global challengesasthe world's population continuously grows. Consequently, boostingproductivity must be implemented to reach the global population'sfood demand and avoid deforestation. The current promising agriculturalpractice without herbicides and pesticides is fertilizer management,particularly that of phosphorus fertilizers. Layered double hydroxides(LDHs) have recently emerged as favorable materials in phosphate removal,with practical application possibilities in nanofertilizers. Thisreview discusses the fundamental aspects of phosphate removal/recyclingmechanisms and highlights the current endeavors on the developmentof phosphate-selective sorbents using LDH-based materials. Specificemphasis is provided on the progress in designing LDHs as the slowrelease of phosphate fertilizers reveals their relevance in makingagro-practices more ecologically sound. Relevant pioneering effortshave been briefly reviewed, along with a discussion of perspectiveson the potential of LDHs as green nanomaterials to improve food productivitywith low eco-impacts.