A significant growth in solar photovoltaic (PV) installation has observed during the last decade in standalone and grid-connected power generation systems. The solar PV system has a non-linear output characteristic because of weather intermittency, which tends to have a substantial effect on overall PV system output. Hence, to optimize the output of a PV system, different maximum power point tracking (MPPT) techniques have been used. But, the confusion lies while selecting an appropriate MPPT, as every method has its own merits and demerits. Therefore, a proper review of these techniques is essential. A “ Google Scholar ” survey of the last five years (2015-2020) was conducted. It has found that overall seventy-one review articles are published on different MPPT techniques; out of those seventy-one, only four are on uniform solar irradiance, seven on non-uniform and none on hybrid optimization MPPT techniques. Most of them have discussed the limited number of MPPT techniques, and none of them has discussed the online and offline under uniform and hybrid MPPT techniques under non-uniform solar irradiance conditions all together in one. Unfortunately, very few attempts have made in this regard. Therefore, a comprehensive review paper on this topic is need of time, in which almost all the well-known MPPT techniques should be encapsulated in one paper. This article focuses on classifications of online, offline, and hybrid optimization MPPT algorithms, under the uniform and non-uniform irradiance conditions. It summarizes various MPPT methods along with their mathematical expression, operating principle, and block diagram/flow charts. This research will provide a valuable pathway to researchers, energy engineers, and strategists for future research and implementation in the field of maximum power point tracking optimization.

Cutting-edge technologies are making inroads into new areas and this remarkable progress has been successfully influenced by the tiny level engineering of carbon dots technology, their synthesis advancement and impressive applications in the field of allied sciences. The advances of science and its conjugation with interdisciplinary fields emerged in carbon dots making, their controlled characterization and applications into faster, cheaper as well as more reliable products in various scientific domains. Thus, a new era in nanotechnology has developed into carbon dots technology. The understanding of the generation process, control on making processes and selected applications of carbon dots such as energy storage, environmental monitoring, catalysis, contaminates detections and complex environmental forensics, drug delivery, drug targeting and other biomedical applications, etc., are among the most promising applications of carbon dots and thus it is a prominent area of research today. In this regard, various types of carbon dot nanomaterials such as oxides, their composites and conjugations, etc., have been garnering significant attention due to their remarkable potential in this prominent area of energy, the environment and technology. Thus, the present paper highlights the role and importance of carbon dots, recent advancements in their synthesis methods, properties and emerging applications.

Water is the founding fundamental of life and hence is a basic need of life. However, due to the ever-rising population, industrialization has emerged as a global issue. This problem has notably escalated in developing countries. Their citizens face problems such as floods, drought, and poor water quality. Due to poor water quality and sanitation problems, most health issues are caused by water-borne infections. In developing countries, untreated wastewater is released into water bodies or the ground, thereby polluting natural resources. This is due to the lack of sufficient infrastructure, planning, funding, and technologies to overcome these problems. Additionally, the urbanization of megacities in developing countries is highly accelerated, but it is disproportionate to the required resources for treating wastewater. Due to this biological oxygen demand (BOD): chemical oxygen demand (COD) ratio is increasing exponentially in developing countries compared to developed ones. Spreading awareness, education and supporting relevant research, and making stringent rules for industries can alone solve the water problem in developing countries.

In the present era, the global need for food is increasing rapidly; nanomaterials are a useful tool for improving crop production and yield. The application of nanomaterials can improve plant growth parameters. Biotic stress is induced by many microbes in crops and causes disease and high yield loss. Every year, approximately 20–40% of crop yield is lost due to plant diseases caused by various pests and pathogens. Current plant disease or biotic stress management mainly relies on toxic fungicides and pesticides that are potentially harmful to the environment. Nanotechnology emerged as an alternative for the sustainable and eco-friendly management of biotic stress induced by pests and pathogens on crops. In this review article, we assess the role and impact of different nanoparticles in plant disease management, and this review explores the direction in which nanoparticles can be utilized for improving plant growth and crop yield.

Lignin is an important commercially produced polymeric material. It is used extensively in both industrial and agricultural activities. Recently, it has drawn much attention from the scientific community. It is abundantly present in nature and has significant application in the production of biodegradable materials. Its wide usage includes drug delivery, polymers and several forms of emerging lignin nanoparticles. The synthesis of lignin nanoparticles is carried out in a controlled manner. The traditional manufacturing techniques are costly and often toxic and hazardous to the environment. This review article highlights simple, safe, climate-friendly and ecological approaches to the synthesis of lignin nanoparticles. The changeable, complex structure and recalcitrant nature of lignin makes it challenging to degrade. Researchers have discovered a small number of microorganisms that have developed enzymatic and non-enzymatic metabolic pathways to use lignin as a carbon source. These microbes show promising potential for the biodegradation of lignin. The degradation pathways of these microbes are also described, which makes the study of biological synthesis much easier. However, surface modification of lignin nanoparticles is something that is yet to be explored. This review elucidates the recent advances in the biodegradation of lignin in the ecological system. It includes the current approaches, methods for modification, new applications and research for the synthesis of lignin and lignin nanoparticles. Additionally, the intricacy of lignin’s structure, along with its chemical nature, is well-described. This article will help increase the understanding of the utilization of lignin as an economical and alternative-resource material. It will also aid in the minimization of solid waste arising from lignin.

Over the past few decades, the synthesis and potential applications of nanocatalysts have received great attention from the scientific community. Many well-established methods are extensively utilized for the synthesis of nanocatalysts. However, most conventional physical and chemical methods have some drawbacks, such as the toxicity of precursor materials, the requirement of high-temperature environments, and the high cost of synthesis, which ultimately hinder their fruitful applications in various fields. Bioinspired synthesis is eco-friendly, cost-effective, and requires a low energy/temperature ambient. Various microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and algae are used as nano-factories and can provide a novel method for the synthesis of different types of nanocatalysts. The synthesized nanocatalysts can be further utilized in various applications such as the removal of heavy metals, treatment of industrial effluents, fabrication of materials with unique properties, biomedical, and biosensors. This review focuses on the biogenic synthesis of nanocatalysts from various green sources that have been adopted in the past two decades, and their potential applications in different areas. This review is expected to provide a valuable guideline for the biogenic synthesis of nanocatalysts and their concomitant applications in various fields.