Green synthesis approaches for metallic and carbon nanostructures

This chapter presents a global vision on the green synthesis evolution to obtain nanostructured materials with special emphasis on metallic and carbon nanostructures. The advantages and special limitations of recently developed green methods are addressed. In addition to the effect of the green components that facilitate obtaining and stabilizing the nanoparticles and nanocomposites, significant features in the synthesis methods that provide graphite exfoliation for potential biomedical applications are considered. A critical analysis of the worldwide trend to use toxic compounds for graphene production is addressed. Analysis of methods that can be named full green synthesis to obtain carbon quantum dots was worthy of consideration. In addition to the synthesis methods involving special plant extracts with qualities for producing graphene, this chapter provides a future overview of the green synthesis in the short and medium term, involving self-improvement of the green process and potential applications.