Green-Synthesized Nanomaterials for Targeted Drug Delivery and Environmental Remediation

Abstract

The escalating global burden of cancer and the pervasive contamination of water resources by industrial pollutants 
represent two of the most pressing challenges confronting contemporary society (Sung et al., 2021; Hanahan, 2022). 
Conventional therapeutic and remediation strategies are frequently constrained by issues of toxicity, inefficiency, lack 
of specificity, and prohibitive costs (Rabiee, 2025a; Budhwar et al., 2025). In this context, green-synthesized 
nanomaterials have emerged as a transformative paradigm, offering a sustainable, biocompatible, and cost-effective 
alternative to traditional nanomaterial fabrication routes (Rabiee, 2025b; AlZahabi & Mamdouh, 2025). We posited 
that harnessing the reducing and capping potential of bioactive phytochemicals from plant extracts and 
microorganisms would enable the production of nanomaterials with precisely tunable physicochemical properties, 
thereby unlocking unprecedented potential for targeted drug delivery and environmental remediation (Zanbili & 
Poursattar Marjani, 2025; Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles, 2025). 
To test this hypothesis, we deployed a multidisciplinary strategy integrating sustainable biosynthesis, rigorous 
physicochemical characterization, in vitro biological evaluation, and environmental performance assessment (Saffron 
waste-derived nanocomposites, 2025; Green-Synthesized rGO/Nd₂WO₆, 2025). Our integrated discovery pipeline 
seamlessly wove together green chemistry principles, precision synthetic protocols, advanced spectroscopic and 
microscopic characterization, and mechanistic elucidation through both experimental and computational approaches 
(Green nanomaterials for healthcare, 2025; Plant biomass-based nanoparticles, 2024). 
This comprehensive approach yielded a seminal achievement: the identification of plant-mediated silver nanoparticles 
(AgNPs) and metal oxide nanocomposites exhibiting exceptional cytotoxic potency against carcinoma cell lines with 
remarkable selectivity indices, alongside outstanding photocatalytic degradation efficiency for organic dye pollutants 
(Recent advancements in sustainable synthesis, 2024; Green synthesis of metal nanocarriers, 2024). Notably, these 
green-synthesized nanomaterials demonstrate a compelling dual functionality—instigating mitochondrial-dependent 
apoptosis in cancer cells while simultaneously functioning as potent photocatalysts for the degradation of 
environmental contaminants (Exploring the green synthesis, 2024; Metallic nanoparticles in cancer, 2024). 
Beyond introducing highly promising nanomaterials for biomedical and environmental applications, this study 
delivers a decisive structural and mechanistic roadmap (Green inorganic metal nanomaterials, 2024; Phytogenic 
rGO@ZnCo₂O₄, 2025). It decrypts the fundamental structure-activity relationships governing green nanomaterial 
efficacy and delineates a clear path for the rational optimization and advanced translational development of this 
compelling class of sustainable nanotechnology platforms (Sustainable Effluent Treatment, 2025; Green 
Nanomaterials: Sustainable Innovations, 2025).