At present, the world is at the peak of production of traditional fossil fuels. Much of the resources that humanity has been consuming (oil, coal, and natural gas) are coming to an end. The human being faces a future that must necessarily go through a paradigm shift, which includes a progressive movement towards increasingly less polluting and energetically viable resources. In this sense, nanotechnology has a transcendental role in this change. For decades, new materials capable of being used in energy processes have been synthesized, which undoubtedly will be the cornerstone of the future development of the planet. In this review, we report on the current progress in the synthesis and use of one-dimensional (1D) nanostructured materials (specifically nanowires, nanofibers, nanotubes, and nanorods), with compositions based on oxides, nitrides, or metals, for applications related to energy. Due to its extraordinary surface–volume relationship, tunable thermal and transport properties, and its high surface area, these 1D nanostructures have become fundamental elements for the development of energy processes. The most relevant 1D nanomaterials, their different synthesis procedures, and useful methods for assembling 1D nanostructures in functional devices will be presented. Applications in relevant topics such as optoelectronic and photochemical devices, hydrogen production, or energy storage, among others, will be discussed. The present review concludes with a forecast on the directions towards which future research could be directed on this class of nanostructured materials.

At present, the world is at the peak of production of traditional fossil fuels. Much of the resources that humanity has been consuming (oil, coal and natural gas) are coming to an end. The human being faces a future that must necessarily go through a paradigm shift, which includes a progressive movement towards increasingly less polluting and energetically viable resources. In this sense, nanotechnology has a transcendental role in this change. For decades, new materials capable of being used in energy processes have been synthesized that undoubtedly will be the cornerstone of the future development of the planet. In this review, we report on the current progress in the synthesis and use of one-dimensional (1D) nanostructured materials (specifically nanowires, nanofibers, nanotubes and nanorods), with compositions based on oxides, nitrides, or metals, for applications related to energy. Due to its extraordinary surface-volume relationship, tunable thermal and transport properties, and its high surface area, these 1D nanostructures have become fundamental elements for the development of energy processes. The most relevant 1D nanomaterials, their different synthesis procedures, and useful methods for assembling 1D nanostructures in functional devices will be presented. Applications in relevant topics such as optoelectronic and photochemical devices, hydrogen production or energy storage, among others, will be discussed. The present review concludes with a forecast on the directions towards which future research could be directed on this class of nanostructured materials.

Increases in the use and the progressive manufacture of new Engineered Nanomaterials (ENMs) lead to inquire about their impact on the environment. Due to the small size, high reactivity inside organisms and the unusual physicochemical properties of the ENMs, the predictions of toxicity are very complex. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) has been granted as a practical alternative to study the toxicity of ENMs. In this article the toxic effects of silver nanoparticles, titanium oxide nanoparticles, zinc oxide nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, copper nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles, cadmium nanoparticles and nano plastics were reviewed trough the most recent literature available. Every ENMs should be studied in depth independently, considering co-exposures, environmental matrices, the effects of variations in size and concentrations, the potential effects of prolonged exposure, the coverage of ENMs, specific organism and targeted organs. This information will help to identify deficiencies in research trends and reinforce the safest ways to use ENMs.

Plastic is one of the most used materials in the world, adopted in almost all activities of human life, but due to the high persistence and durability in the environment, it is causing pollution problems. Through different processes, small particles of polymers are emerging and the effects on the health are still unknown. The Danio rerio (zebrafish) is a model organism that serves as a reference for the assessment of the safety of Nanoplastics (NPs) and Microplastics (MPs). The effects on development, central nervous system, behavior and genetic regulation, are some of the evidences that are already available thanks to the studies developed in recent years. The potential exacerbation of toxicity by co-exposure of the NPs and MP with other contaminants has been demonstrated through several studies. Furthermore, the challenge that must be overcome is the lack of uniformity in the analytical methodology that helps to generate conclusive and parallel results.