Biosynthesized metal and metal oxide nanoparticles as green catalysts for sustainable nanoremediation

Biosynthesized metal and metal oxide nanoparticles as green catalysts for sustainable nanoremediation

Mariyam SHAFIQ, Mahnoor SALEEM, Saiqa TABASSUM, Waleed AHMED

Abstract. Biosynthesized metal and metal oxide nanoparticles are emerging as effective and eco-friendly nanocatalysts for environmental remediation. Their biosynthesis with the assistance of bioresources, including plants, fungi, microbes, algae, and animal-derived resources, is a clean and environmentally friendly process in contrast to conventional chemical synthesis, both regarding the environment and health concerns. This article covers their uses in nanoremediation, such as pollutant degradation, pesticide detoxification, and heavy metal removal, and provides overview of the mechanisms involved like photocatalysis, redox reactions, and surface adsorption. The case studies discussed demonstrate their excellent catalytic activity, flexibility, and eco-friendliness, with a focus on the novel application of novel bioresources to the production of functional nanomaterials with tunable properties. In spite of such drawbacks as scalability, reproducibility, and long-term ecological impact, new paradigms grounded on innovative materials, solar-driven systems, and AI-aided designing are promising for practical, large-scale application. This work highlights the increasing importance of biogenic nanocatalysts in developing climate-resilient, low-impact, and sustainable nanoremediation technologies, presenting an innovative vision for future research and industrial development.

Keywords
Biosynthesized Nanoparticles, Green Synthesis, Nanoremediation, Sustainable Nanotechnology, Metal and Metal Oxide Nanoparticles, Biogenic Nanocatalysts, Environmental Remediation

Published online 6/20/2026, 8 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA

Citation: Mariyam SHAFIQ, Mahnoor SALEEM, Saiqa TABASSUM, Waleed AHMED, Biosynthesized metal and metal oxide nanoparticles as green catalysts for sustainable nanoremediation, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 67, pp 369-376, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644904176-50

The article was published as article 50 of the book Climate Action and Sustainability

Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.

References
[1] Sah MK, Thakuri BS, Pant J, Gardas RL, Bhattarai A. The Multifaceted Perspective on the Role of Green Synthesis of Nanoparticles in Promoting a Sustainable Green Economy. Sustainable Chemistry 2024;5:40–59. https://doi.org/10.3390/suschem5020004
[2] Agarwal N, Solanki V, Jonnalagadda S. Green Solutions for Degradation of Pollutants. BENTHAM SCIENCE PUBLISHERS; 2024. https://doi.org/10.2174/97898152389691240101
[3] Yang Z, Shen J. A review: metal and metal oxide nanoparticles for environmental applications. Nanoscale 2025. https://doi.org/10.1039/d5nr01973g
[4] Del Prado-Audelo ML, García Kerdan I, Escutia-Guadarrama L, Reyna-González JM, Magaña JJ, Leyva-Gómez G. Nanoremediation: Nanomaterials and Nanotechnologies for Environmental Cleanup. Frontiers in Environmental Science 2021;9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2021.793765
[5] Dabas S. Metal and metal oxide based nanoremediation: a sustainable alternative. Discover Materials 2025;5. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43939-025-00242-6
[6] Nain R, Patel H, Chahar M, Kumar S, Deepak Rohilla, Pal M. Biosynthesized metallic nanoparticles for sustainable environmental remediation: mechanisms, applications, and future perspectives. Discover Chemistry 2025;2. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44371-025-00203-1
[7] Ningthoujam R, Singh YD, Babu PJ, Tirkey A, Pradhan S, Sarma M. Nanocatalyst in remediating environmental pollutants. Chemical Physics Impact 2022;4:100064. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chphi.2022.100064
[8] Patil RP, Kalantre VA, Alasundkar KN. Recent trends of nanocatalyst for organic transformations via sustainable environmental benign route. Research on Chemical Intermediates 2023;49:5163–203. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11164-023-05119-y
[9] Dihom HR, Al-Shaibani MM, Radin Mohamed RMS, Al-Gheethi AA, Sharma A, Khamidun MHB. Photocatalytic degradation of disperse azo dyes in textile wastewater using green zinc oxide nanoparticles synthesized in plant extract: A critical review. Journal of Water Process Engineering 2022;47:102705. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2022.102705
[10] Sanni SE, Oni BA, Okoro EE, Pandya S. Recent advances in the use of biogenic nanomaterials and photocatalysts for wastewater treatment: challenges and future prospects. Frontiers in Nanotechnology 2024;6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnano.2024.1469309
[11] Khan S, Noor T, Iqbal N, Yaqoob L. Photocatalytic Dye Degradation from Textile Wastewater: A Review. ACS Omega 2024;9:21751–67. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.4c00887
[12] Alprol AE, Eleryan A, Abouelwafa A, Gad AM, Hamad TM. Green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles using Padina pavonica extract for efficient photocatalytic removal of methylene blue. Scientific Reports 2024;14. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-80757-9
[13] Zheng X, Ma Y, Wu Y, Chen L, Long M, Chen Y. Palladium nanoparticles facilitated fast debromination and complete mineralization of Tetrabromobisphenol S (TBBPS) through coupling catalytic hydrodehalogenation with advanced oxidation processes. Separation and Purification Technology 2024;354:129351–1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2024.129351
[14] Ganie AS, Bano S, Khan N, Sultana S, Rehman Z, Rahman MM, et al. Nanoremediation technologies for sustainable remediation of contaminated environments: Recent advances and challenges. Chemosphere 2021;275:130065. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130065
[15] Olawade DB, Wada OZ, Egbewole BI, Oluwaseun Fapohunda, Ige AO, Usman SO, et al. Metal and metal oxide nanomaterials for heavy metal remediation: novel approaches for selective, regenerative, and scalable water treatment. Frontiers in Nanotechnology 2024;6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnano.2024.1466721