Phyconanofabrication—algae as bio-templates for commercially applicable nanomaterials

Nanotechnology has pervaded areas of material, environmental and biomedical sciences, which has led to an ever-increasing demand for higher stability and biocompatibility of nanostructured materials. Natural sources such as algae provide many of the solutions to these requirements—numerous species across different phyla and habitats of algae are used to synthesize elemental, compound and composite-based nanomaterials. This chapter concisely describes the principles of the formation of nanoparticles from algal biomolecules, their recently reported fascinating applications and hurdles to overcome for the successful commercialization of these techniques. Illustrations and tables summarize the concepts discussed and the literature referenced. Unlike several recent compilations which discuss generic nanoparticle properties, green synthetic routes, or benefits of algae, this chapter strictly adheres to publications (strongly focused on the last 5years) related to only algae as agents of nanosynthesis, which makes it a valuable, comprehensive, and easily referable read for scientists.