An enchanting yet challenging task is the development of higher productivity in plants to meet the ample food demands for the growing global population while harmonizing the ecosystem using front-line technologies. This has kindled the practice of green microalgae cultivation as a driver of key biostimulant products, targeting agronomic needs. To this end, a prodigious and economical strategy for producing bioactive compounds (sources of secondary metabolites) from microalgae using carbon-based nanomaterials (CNMs) as a platform can circumvent these hurdles. Recently, the nanobionics approach of incorporating CNMs with living systems has emerged as a promising technique to develop organelles with new and augmented functions. Herein, we discuss the importance of 2D carbon nanosheets (CNS) as an alternative carbon source for the phototrophic cultivation of microalgae. CNS not only aids in cost reduction for algal cultivation but also confers combinatorial innate or exogenous functions that enhance its programmed biosynthetic metabolism, proliferation, or tolerance to stress. Moreover, the inherent ability of CNS to act as efficient biocatalysts can enhance the rate of photosynthesis. The primary focus of this mini-review is the development of an economic route for enhanced yield of bioactive compounds while simultaneously serving as a heterogeneous platform for enhancing the sustainable production of biostimulants including bioactive compounds from algal biomass for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications.

The slings and arrows of two-dimensional (2D) graphene and one-dimensional (1D) carbon nanotubes embody a high risk-to-benefit ratio, which is challenging for their biocompatibility. Herein, we report for the first time the synthesis of hydrogel nanotubes (HNTs) with ice helices as exotic nanostructures via free radical-mediated aqueous copolymerization. Extensive embryonic 2D polymer nanosheets were produced after 10 h of reaction which buckled out-of-plane into HNTs, inspired by the ancient art of origami. Water drawn into the hydrophobic hollow conduit freezes spontaneously, acting as an epicenter for the genesis of an ice helix trapped in a kinetically stable arrangement with regular periodicity, extending rational synthesis into the nanoscale regime. In this seminal work, the mechanism for the formation of ice helices inside the HNTs was delineated with the aid of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. Endowed with unique biocompatibility, these HNTs aided the rapid establishment of wound barrier properties with concomitant cell proliferation guided by a provisional matrix mimicking the extracellular matrix niche. The HNTs support a permissive milieu for vascular sufficiency with well-proliferated fibroblasts at the wound bed.

The field of energy storage and conversion materials has witnessed transformative advancements owing to the integration of advanced in situ characterization techniques. Among them, numerous real-time characterization techniques, especially in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM)/scanning TEM (STEM) have tremendously increased the atomic-level understanding of the minute transition states in energy materials during electrochemical processes. Advanced forms of in situ/operando TEM and STEM microscopic techniques also provide incredible insights into material phenomena at the finest scale and aid to monitor phase transformations and degradation mechanisms in lithium-ion batteries. Notably, the solid–electrolyte interface (SEI) is one the most significant factors that associated with the performance of rechargeable batteries. The SEI critically controls the electrochemical reactions occur at the electrode–electrolyte interface. Intricate chemical reactions in energy materials interfaces can be effectively monitored using temperature-sensitive in situ STEM techniques, deciphering the reaction mechanisms prevailing in the degradation pathways of energy materials with nano- to micrometer-scale spatial resolution. Further, the advent of cryogenic (Cryo)-TEM has enhanced these studies by preserving the native state of sensitive materials. Cryo-TEM also allows the observation of metastable phases and reaction intermediates that are otherwise challenging to capture. Along with these sophisticated techniques, Focused ion beam (FIB) induction has also been instrumental in preparing site-specific cross-sectional samples, facilitating the high-resolution analysis of interfaces and layers within energy devices. The holistic integration of these advanced characterization techniques provides a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic changes in energy materials. This review highlights the recent progress in employing state-of-the-art characterization techniques such as in situ TEM, STEM, Cryo-TEM, and FIB for detailed investigation into the structural and chemical dynamics of energy storage and conversion materials.