Algae-based synthesis to generate nanomaterials for nanoremediation

Abstract

The biogenic production of nanoparticles (NPs) has become a viable option for creating nanomaterials with a variety of biological, chemical, and physical properties. Chemical and physical strategies have been used before, but their usefulness has been constrained by the creation of hazardous byproducts, energy-intensive experimental processes, and expensive instrumentations. The eco-benign fabrication of NPs has been proposed as a potential substitute, offering an energy-efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally benign method for synthesising a wide variety of NPs. Algae, fungi, and bacteria are only a few of the biological agents used in producing NPs. Microalgae and cyanobacteria, on the other hand, stand out thanks to their distinctive traits, which include their faster growth rates, significantly higher rates of CO2 sequestration, hyperaccumulation of heavy metals, low energy requirements, lack of noxious byproducts, and utilisation of active biomolecules as reducing and capping agents. These traits make them appealing candidates for the fabrication of NPs. The algal extract acts as a living cell factory for the effective biogenic production of NPs because it is an ecofriendly reducing and capping agent. Despite the vast potential of NPs, reports on the fabrication of NPs from microalgae to remove hazardous contaminants from wastewater have remained an untapped study field. This chapter provides an overview of recent developments and future directions in the production of NPs from algae for use in environmental applications, particularly wastewater treatment