Sustainable Applications of Nanofibers in Agriculture and Water Treatment: A Review

Abstract

Natural fibers are an important source for producing polymers, which are highly applicable in their nanoform and could be used in very broad fields such as filtration for water/wastewater treatment, biomedicine, food packaging, harvesting, and storage of energy due to their high specific surface area. These natural nanofibers could be mainly produced through plants, animals, and minerals, as well as produced from agricultural wastes. For strengthening these natural fibers, they may reinforce with some substances such as nanomaterials. Natural or biofiber-reinforced bio-composites and nano–bio-composites are considered better than conventional composites. The sustainable application of nanofibers in agricultural sectors is a promising approach and may involve plant protection and its growth through encapsulating many bio-active molecules or agrochemicals (i.e., pesticides, phytohormones, and fertilizers) for smart delivery at the targeted sites. The food industry and processing also are very important applicable fields of nanofibers, particularly food packaging, which may include using nanofibers for active–intelligent food packaging, and food freshness indicators. The removal of pollutants from soil, water, and air is an urgent field for nanofibers due to their high efficiency. Many new approaches or applicable agro-fields for nanofibers are expected in the future, such as using nanofibers as the indicators for CO and NH3. The role of nanofibers in the global fighting against COVID-19 may represent a crucial solution, particularly in producing face masks.

Nanofertilizers: A Smart and Sustainable Attribute to Modern Agriculture

“…Nanofertilizers can be produced by adding nutrients individually or in combination to the adsorbents with nano-dimensions. In the case of cationic nutrients, the target nutrients are loaded as is, whereas the anionic nutrients are loaded after surface adjustment to create the nanomaterials using physical and chemical methods [ 15 ]. A new technology involves the encapsulation of fertilizers within NPs, which can be accomplished in one of the following three ways: the nutrient can be provided as nanoscale particles or emulsions; it can be coated with a thin polymer layer; or it can be enclosed within nanoporous materials [ 16 ].…”

Stability Phenomena Associated with the Development of Polymer-Based Nanopesticides

“…The nanofibers are usually synthesized by electrospinning; however, several variations of this method have been developed, including the multi-needle, needleless, and coelectrospinning or coaxial electrospinning [ 72 ]. Nanofibers can be found in natural and synthetic form and have several applications, including aerospace, 3D printing industry, orthopedic and structural applications, polyurethane matrix, paper, and textile industry [ 73 ]. In agriculture, nanofibers with encapsulated fungicides and herbicides can protect plants, improve plant growth, avoid pollution and contamination, promote irrigation systems, and detect some pesticides in water [ 74 ].…”

“…In agriculture, nanofibers with encapsulated fungicides and herbicides can protect plants, improve plant growth, avoid pollution and contamination, promote irrigation systems, and detect some pesticides in water [ 74 ]. However, nanofibers could also be sustainably applied in many agricultural processes, reducing the loss in used agrochemicals, pesticides, hormones, and/or fertilizers [ 73 ].…”

Cellulose-based natural nanofibers for fresh produce packaging: current status, sustainability and future outlook

“…which make it a promising material for various applications. 11 Nanofibers produced from plant-based cellulose through electrospinning, known as cellulose nanofibers (CNF), are a type of nanomaterial that can be produced in the range of 1–100 nm. CNF is used as a food packaging material due to its unique mechanical and barrier properties that can improve the shelf life and quality of fresh produce.…”