Ball Milling Approaches for Biomass-Derived Nanocarbon in Advanced Sustainable Applications

The synthesis of biomass-derived nanocarbons via ball milling has emerged as an innovative, sustainable, and cost-effective strategy in the field of nanotechnology. This review comprehensively explores the principles, mechanisms, and process parameters that influence the production of high-quality nanocarbons from biomass using ball milling. This process efficiently transforms biomass residues into nanoscale carbon, including graphene, carbon nanotubes, and nanofibers, with tunable physicochemical properties tailored for advanced applications. The structural evolution of nanocarbons during ball milling, facilitated by mechanical forces such as exfoliation, fragmentation, and defect engineering, enhances their electrochemical performance, catalytic activity, and environmental applications. This review highlights the advantages of ball milling over conventional synthesis methods, including its solvent-free nature, scalability, and precise control over nanocarbon morphology. The diverse applications of nanocarbons, ranging from energy storage to catalysis, photocatalysis, water purification, gas sensing, soil remediation, oil recovery, anticorrosion coatings, inkjet ink formulation, and biomedical uses, underscore their potential for sustainable technological advancement. The novelty of this review lies in the comprehensive synthesis of recent developments in biomass-derived nanocarbon synthesis via ball milling, bridging the gap between fundamental processing mechanisms and practical applications. The challenges and future perspectives are discussed to guide further research and industrial adoption of green nanotechnology.