Microalgae: A prospective low cost green alternative for nanoparticle synthesis

Nanoparticle synthesis from biological sources has recently evolved as a green alternative to the traditional chemical means of synthesis. Among the diverse green sources explored, microalgae with prominent advantages with respect to their ease in growth, ability to survive in extreme conditions of pH and temperature, make these entities as promising low-cost, green machinery for the large-scale synthesis of nanoparticles. Characterized with their ability to remediate wastewater along with the production of a wide variety of commercially important nanomaterials, economically viable growth-associated products and the inherent carbon reduction potentials, algae are gaining wide interest as candidate renewable alternative for the traditional chemical synthesis options Although, several reviews have highlighted the importance of algal biofactories, the commercial large-scale utilization of these biological agents is still aloof. In view of the immediate need to develop effective alternatives to the currently used sources for nanoparticles synthesis and environmental sustainability, it is relevant that individual research findings on the prospects of algae for nanoparticles production are updated and comprehended together in a way to facilitate scale-up and commercialization of the technology. The present minireview provides a brief outline about the growth and advantages of microalgae and the recent updates on the biogenesis of nanoparticles and quantum dots using microalgae with mention on the biosensing and environmental pollution detection properties on the microalgae-derived nanomaterials.