Prospects and environmental sustainability of phyconanotechnology: A review on algae-mediated metal nanoparticles synthesis and mechanism

In recent years, researchers have proven that the employment of natural green components in the biogenesis of nanoparticles from microalgae species is one of the ways to delight the global environment issues. The application of nanotechnology with the exploitation of phycochemical produced from algae species is known as 'phyconanotechnology'. The use of biological compounds by microalgae as reducing agents for the synthesis of inorganic nanoparticles has shown promising results such as cost-effective and environmentally friendly. Different classifications of algae such as brown algae, red algae, green algae, and cyanobacteria are studied for the synthesis of different types of metal nanoparticles. It is also an important motive to acknowledge the mechanisms of the microalgae-mediated biosynthesis of nanoparticles via an intracellular pathway or extra cellular pathway. Besides, microalgae species as biogenic sources preclude the use of conventional methods reagents, such as sodium borohydride (NaBH4) and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), which further consolidates their position as the best choice for sustainable (economically and environmentally) nanoparticle synthesis compared to the conventional nanoparticles synthesis pathway.

Automated summary

In recent years, researchers have found that the use of natural green components from algae in the biogenesis of nanoparticles is an effective way to address global environmental issues. Microalgae act as reducing agents to synthesize inorganic nanoparticles, showing promising results in terms of cost-effectiveness and environmental friendliness. Different types of algae are studied for the synthesis of various metal nanoparticles.