Green Nanomaterials: Importance and Applications

Abstract

Nanomaterials (in nanoscale range), in the contemporary world, have acted as a magic wand for miniaturization of process hardware and development of functionally enhanced and engineered materials. However, both the source and method of production of nanomaterials involve synthetic approach which tends to increase the human health and environmental risk. Green nanotechnology (principally relying on the concepts of green chemistry), which involves the use of green nanoproducts or the use of nanoproducts in enhancing the environmental stability, has been a promising concept for reducing negative externalities of synthetic nanomaterials. Green nano materials include the nanomaterials which are synthesized either using environmental-friendly technologies (microwave or ultrasound) or from a natural sustainable raw material (biowastes, etc). These nanomaterials are advantageous from the conventional ones in terms of biocompatibility, biodegradability, renewability, lower toxicity, cost, reduced effluents, etc., besides other numerous advantages. The conventional applications of nano or green nanomaterials have been limited to electronics, mate rial manufacturing, and information technology industries. However, the recent past has seen an upward trend in the use of green nanomaterials in nonconventional fields like agriculture, food processing, biomedicine, energy conversion, and storage. This chapter aims to provide a compre hensive insight on green nanomaterials and their importance, besides highlighting their applications especially in nonconventional fields