Valorisation of agricultural waste and their role in green synthesis of value-added nanoparticles
Rajat Sharma, Suman Lata, Rajni Garg
Abstract
Nanotechnology works at the interface of science and technology by providing innovative solutions through different nanomaterials such as nanoparticles, nanospheres, nanorods, nanocomposites, etc. Instead of traditional approaches available to synthesise these valuable products, green synthesis is attracting the interest of researchers with its environmental value. Agricultural waste is a by-product of agricultural production and various agriproducts processing industries. This waste is generally discarded and not disposed of causing major environmental pollution, an issue of concern. However, agricultural waste is a rich source of various phytochemicals and can be efficiently utilised to synthesise various value-added nanoparticles. This paper provides a detailed review of the innovative use of various agricultural wastes in the bio-synthesis of metal-based nanoparticles with potential applications in various sectors. The mechanism for the formation of zerovalent metal and metal oxide nanoparticles has been explored on the basis of the redox potential of the metal ion and the phytochemicals. The potential applications of these nanoparticles have also been explored in terms of antimicrobial potential, catalytic, and biomedical applications. Thus, the study strengthens the importance of various agri-wastes and their beneficiary role for the value-added resource recovery.