Tailored nanomaterials from urban lignocellulosic waste for soil and wastewater remediation: advancing towards sustainable environment

The escalating generation of urban lignocellulosic waste poses significant environmental and resource management challenges, necessitating sustainable valorization strategies. This article critically examines the conversion of urban lignocellulosic biomass into molecularly tailored nanomaterials for targeted soil and wastewater remediation. Emphasis is placed on the synthesis methodologies, molecular engineering approaches, and the intrinsic physicochemical properties governing their remediation performance. Key factors influencing material characteristics, including pyrolysis temperature, heating rate, residence time, and feedstock composition, are systematically analyzed. Tailored nanomaterials produced at elevated pyrolysis temperatures exhibit enhanced microporosity, increased specific surface area, and greater hydrophobicity, favoring the adsorption of non-polar organic contaminants.Conversely, low-temperature derived nanomaterials, enriched with oxygenated functional groups, demonstrate superior affinity towards polar organic and inorganic pollutants via surface complexation, electrostatic attraction, and precipitation mechanisms. The review further addresses critical challenges such as feedstock variability, process scalability, environmental risks, and regulatory considerations associated with field-scale applications.Future research directions emphasize the precision design of nanomaterials for contaminantspecific remediation, process optimization for large-scale deployment, and comprehensive environmental impact assessments. Overall, this study highlights the transformative potential of urban biomass-derived nanomaterials in advancing sustainable environmental remediation technologies and contributing to circular economy frameworks.