Social and economic development has driven considerable scientific and engineering efforts on the discovery, development and utilization of polymers. Poly‐lactic acid (PLA) is one of the most promising biopolymers as it can be produced from non‐toxic renewable feedstock. PLA has emerged as an important polymeric material for biomedical applications on account of its properties such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, mechanical strength and process ability. Lactic acid (LA) can be obtained by fermentation of sugars derived from renewable resources such as corn, sugarcane etc. PLA is thus an eco‐friendly non‐toxic polymer with features that permit use in the human body. Although PLA has a wide spectrum of applications, there are certain limitations such as slow degradation rate, hydrophobicity and low impact toughness associated with its use. Blending PLA with other polymers offers convenient options to improve associated properties or to generate novel PLA polymers/blends for target applications. A variety of PLA blends have been explored for various biomedical applications such as drug delivery, implants, sutures, and tissue engineering. PLA and their copolymers are becoming widely used in tissue engineering for function restoration of impaired tissues due to their excellent biocompatibility and mechanical properties. The relationship between PLA material properties, manufacturing processes and development of products with desirable characteristics is described in this article. LA production, PLA synthesis and their applications in the biomedical field are also discussed.

The conversion of lignocellulosic biomass (LB) to sugar is an intricate process which is the costliest part of the biomass conversion process. Even though acid/enzyme catalysts are usually being used for LB hydrolysis, enzyme immobilization has been recognized as a potential strategy nowadays. The use of nanobiocatalysts increases hydrolytic efficiency and enzyme stability. Furthermore, biocatalyst/enzyme immobilization on magnetic nanoparticles enables easy recovery and reuse of enzymes. Hence, the exploitation of nanobiocatalysts for LB to biofuel conversion will aid in developing a lucrative and sustainable approach. With this perspective, the effects of nanobiocatalysts on LB to biofuel production were reviewed here. Several traits, such as switching the chemical processes using nanomaterials, enzyme immobilization on nanoparticles for higher reaction rates, recycling ability and toxicity effects on microbial cells, were highlighted in this review. Current developments and viability of nanobiocatalysts as a promising option for enhanced LB conversion into the biofuel process were also emphasized. Mostly, this would help in emerging eco-friendly, proficient, and cost-effective biofuel technology.

The present review mainly discusses advanced pretreatment techniques for converting lignocellulosic biomass into hydrogen. The focus of this review is also to acquire knowledge concerning lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment processes and their impact on the efficiency of biohydrogen fermentation. The deconstruction of lignocellulosic biomass is presented using various pretreatment techniques albeit with several advantages and disadvantages, particularly about the interference due to the generated inhibitory compounds is toxic to microbes used for fermentation. The use of an appropriate pretreatment process can make the recalcitrant lignocellulosic biomass substrates amenable for further microbial fermentation to produce hydrogen. Although till date there is no ideal pretreatment step available to develop a cost-effective process for conversion of lignocellulosic materials into fermentable sugars, nanotechnology seem to be a more sustainable approach as compared to the traditional processes.

Genistein and daidzein are well-known biologically active pharmaceutical compounds that play significant roles in the treatment of various diseases such as cardiovascular problems, cancer, etc. In some plants, the glycosides daidzin and genistin are present in ample amounts that can be converted into aglycones, daidzein and genistein, through hydrolysis. Here, magnetic cobalt ferrite alkyl sulfonic acid (CoFe₂O₄-Si-ASA) nanocatalyst was used for the hydrolysis of glycosides into aglycones. The application of CoFe₂O₄-Si-ASA nanocatalyst generated a maximum 8.91 g/L diadzein and 12.0 g/L genistein from 15.1 g/L daidzin and 19.3 g/L genistin with conversion efficiencies of 59.0% and 62.2%, respectively, from soybean glycosides at 80 °C in 3 h. The use of a modern nanocatalyst is preferred over enzymes because of its lower production cost, higher rate of reaction, higher stability, etc. To our knowledge, this is the first report on using nanocatalyst for the production of genistein and daidzein in a sustainable manner.

Currently, there is an increasing need to find new ways to purify water by eliminating bacterial biofilms, textile dyes, and toxic water pollutants. These contaminants pose significant risks to both human health and the environment. To address this issue, in this study, we have developed an eco-friendly approach that involves synthesizing a cobalt-doped cerium iron oxide (CCIO) nanocomposite (NC) using an aqueous extract of Gossypium arboreum L. stalks. The resulting nanoparticles can be used to effectively purify water and tackle the challenges associated with these harmful pollutants. Nanoparticles excel in water pollutant removal by providing a high surface area for efficient adsorption, versatile design for the simultaneous removal of multiple contaminants, catalytic properties for organic pollutant degradation, and magnetic features for easy separation, offering cost-effective and sustainable water treatment solutions. A CCIO nanocomposite was synthesized via a green co-precipitation method utilizing biomolecules and co-enzymes extracted from the aqueous solution of Gossypium arboreum L. stalk. This single-step synthesis process was accomplished within a 5-h reaction period. Furthermore, the synthesis of nanocomposites was confirmed by various characterization techniques such as Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) technology. CCIO NCs were discovered to have a spherical shape and an average size of 40 nm. Based on DLS zeta potential analysis, CCIO NCs were found to be anionic. CCIO NCs also showed significant antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. Overall, considering their physical and chemical properties, the application of CCIO NCs for the adsorption of various dyes (~91%) and water pollutants (chromium = ~60%) has been considered here since they exhibit great adsorption capacity owing to their microporous structure, and represent a step forward in water purification.