ZrO 2 ‐Based Nanomaterials for Sustainable Energy and Environmental Applications: Green Synthesis, Structure–Property Relationships, Functional Mechanisms, and Future Perspectives
Hasan Mahmud Chowdhury, Md. Shahriar Ahmed, Abrar Yasir Abir, Md. Saiful Alam, Mahfuz Rana, Rasel Ahmed Khan, Mahmood D. Aljabri, Mohammed Muzibur RahmanABSTRACT
Zirconium oxide (ZrO 2 ) nanoparticles and nanocomposites have emerged as multifunctional materials owing to their thermal stability, chemical inertness, high surface activity, tunable polymorphism, biocompatibility, and catalytic performance. These properties make ZrO 2 ‐based nanomaterials attractive for sustainable energy technologies and environmental remediation. However, conventional synthesis routes, including hydrothermal, sol–gel, solvothermal, spray pyrolysis, laser ablation, and arc‐discharge methods, often require hazardous reagents, costly precursors, high temperature and pressure, long reaction times, and complex equipment. Consequently, eco‐friendly synthesis has become an important strategy for producing ZrO 2 nanomaterials with lower environmental impact. This review critically summarizes recent progress in ZrO 2 nanoparticles and nanocomposites, with emphasis on green and plant‐mediated synthesis routes. Plant extracts contain polyphenols, flavonoids, tannins, proteins, amino acids, sugars, and related biomolecules that can serve as reducing, chelating, capping, and stabilizing agents during nanoparticle formation. The review discusses structural features, phase behavior, synthesis strategies, and proposed phytochemical‐assisted formation mechanisms of ZrO 2 based nanomaterials. Recent applications in lithium‐ion batteries, supercapacitors, solar cells, fuel cells, photocatalytic degradation, adsorption, antibacterial treatment, and pollutant removal are critically examined, focusing on ion transport, electrode stability, interfacial charge transfer, catalytic activity, and wastewater treatment performance. Finally, key challenges and future directions are outlined, including mechanistic understanding, reproducibility, scalability, real‐sample validation, toxicity assessment, reusability, and standardized performance evaluation. This review highlights the potential of green ZrO 2 ‐based nanomaterials for sustainable energy and clean‐water technologies.