Recent developments in liquid-phase synthesis and applications of nanomagnesia

Recent developments in the synthesis of nanomagnesia of controlled sizes and shapes that are suitable for various applications are reviewed. Two main methods, based on liquid-phase synthesis, i.e., chemical methods and bio-based methods, are used to synthesize nanomagnesia. Conventionally, nanomagnesia was synthesized by chemical methods such as co-precipitation, sol-gel, combustion method, and so on using different chemical agents and stabilizers which later on become responsible for several biological risks because of the toxicity of used chemicals. Bio-based protocols are growing as another environmental friend method for the synthesis of various nanostructures especially nanomagnesia using biomass, plant extracts, alga, and fungi as a source of precursor material. The ideal method should offer better control of textural properties of nanostructures and decrease the necessity for purification of the synthesized nanoproducts, which sequentially removes the use of large amounts of chemicals and organic solvents and manipulation of products that are unsafe to the environment. Finally, the broad applicability of nanomagnesia in diverse areas is presented. Employment of nanomagnesia reported in several laboratory and industrial fields are valued from the standpoint of the significance of these issues for technological requests, as described in the literature. Nanomagnesia has various applications such as antimicrobial performance, removing pollutants, batteries application, and catalysis.