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Sustainable nanomaterials using waste agricultural residues
Citation:
Varma, R. Sustainable nanomaterials using waste agricultural residues. Speciality Chemicals Magazine. Quartz Business Media Ltd, Redhill, Uk, 33(11):27-28, (2013).
Impact/Purpose:
Submitted for publication in 'Speciality Chemicals Magazine’ as an invited paper.
Description:
Sustainable synthetic processes developed during the past two decades involving the use of alternate energy inputs and greener reaction media are summarized. Learning from nature, one can produce a wide variety of nanoparticles using completely safe and benign materials such as sucrose, vitamin B-1,vitamin B-2 (riboflavin), vitamin C (ascorbic acid), coffee and tea extracts, beet juice, and even agricultural waste such as red wine grape pomace in the complete absence of any reducing or capping agent. Micropine-structured catalysts, magnetic nanoferrites and their synthetic modifications with ligands, and decoration with other nano-metals serve as sustainable nano-catalysts in eco-friendly media. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) can now be doped with metal (Ag) and nonmetal atoms such as sulfur (S), nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) to enhance its activity in visible light. This strategic approach attempts to fulfill most of the Green Chemistry Principles in a comprehensive manner and targets to generate sustainable functional chemicals that may find large-scale use with significant waste minimization.
