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Nanotechnology Innovations in Water Treatment: Emphasis on Green-Synthesized Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles
1  Department of Pharmacognosy, R. C. Patel Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Shirpur, Kavayitri Bahinabai Chaudhari North Maharashtra University, Jalgaon, Shirpur, 425-405, India
Academic Editor: Wan-liang Lu

Abstract:

Nanotechnology plays a crucial role in addressing critical environmental challenges, particularly in the water sector. Among its promising applications, nanotechnology-based tools for water desalination have shown significant potential and innovation. Nanobiotechnology, as an interdisciplinary field, integrates principles from nanotechnology, biotechnology, materials science, physics, and chemistry to manipulate nanometer-scale materials for diverse scientific applications. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs) can be synthesized through various physical, chemical, and biological (green) methods. Green synthesis, utilizing biological resources, offers an eco-friendly, cost-effective, and safer alternative, demonstrating superior efficiency compared to conventional physical and chemical techniques. TiO₂ nanoparticles find versatile applications across different domains. In the food industry, they serve as photocatalysts and as coating materials in food packaging to enhance product stability and safety. Additionally, TiO₂ nanoparticles are incorporated into electrochemical biosensors to develop advanced nanostructured matrices. Recent research has highlighted the use of natural products from medicinal plants such as Jatropha curcas, Santalum album, Averrhoa carambola, Punica granatum, Beta vulgaris, Ziziphus spina-christi, Syzygium cumini, and Ficus benjamina for the green synthesis of TiO₂ nanoparticles applicable in industrial wastewater treatment. Owing to their unique physicochemical properties—including high photocatalytic activity, chemical stability, cost-effectiveness, and low toxicity—TiO₂ nanoparticles have become one of the most extensively studied nanomaterials for treating industrial effluents. Their efficacy is largely attributed to their capacity to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon irradiation, facilitating the degradation of a broad spectrum of organic and inorganic pollutants. This review further explores the utilization of TiO₂ nanoparticles synthesized via plant extracts for industrial wastewater treatment applications, emphasizing their roles in antimicrobial action, the adsorption of pollutants, and photocatalytic degradation processes mediated by reactive oxygen species.

Keywords: Nanotechnology, Titanium dioxide, Plant extract, Waste water treatment

 
 
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