Sustainable Production of Nano-Activated Carbon from Biomass: Environmental and Economic Perspectives

The sustainable production of nano-activated carbon (nano-AC) from biomass presents a highly promising approach for environmental remediation and a wide range of industrial applications. This review comprehensively examines diverse biomass feedstock, emphasizing their chemical compositions and sustainability considerations that directly affect carbon yield and quality. It further evaluates various synthesis and activation techniques, with a special focus on emerging green methods that improve material properties while minimizing environmental impacts. Detailed discussion on material characterization and adsorption performance of biomass-derived nano-AC is provided, along with the challenges related to reproducibility and scale-up processes. Environmental perspectives are assessed through life cycle assessments, highlighting sustainability benefits and key impact categories. Economic factors, including cost drivers, market dynamics, and commercialization barriers, are also critically reviewed. The paper concludes by identifying current challenges and research gaps, and suggesting future directions aimed at fostering the development of eco-friendly, cost-effective nano-activated carbon technologies that align with circular economy principles and environmental sustainability goals.