In a comprehensive review published in the journal Biochar, authors Pooja Singh, Abhijeet Pathy, Sharoni Sharma, Manikprabhu Dhanorkar, M. Anne Naeth, and Scott X. Chang evaluate the transformative potential of advanced biochar materials. The research focuses on moving beyond traditional soil applications to explore how nanobiochar and engineered biochar nanocomposites can serve as multifunctional biomaterials. By scaling biochar down to the nanometer level or combining it with other substances, the researchers demonstrate that these carbon-rich materials can address modern crises in healthcare, energy storage, and sustainable architecture. The study highlights that these materials represent a critical bridge between waste management and high-tech industrial applications, offering a pathway toward a more resilient and resource-efficient future.

The primary challenge addressed in this research is the unsustainable reliance on finite and energy-intensive materials across various industrial sectors. Traditional carbon materials used in electronics, such as graphene and graphite, are often derived from petrochemical sources or mined using harsh chemical processes that damage the environment. In the medical field, standard treatments like chemotherapy often lack precision, causing significant side effects by damaging healthy cells alongside cancerous ones. Additionally, the construction industry is one of the largest contributors to global carbon emissions, yet it lacks widespread, low-cost additives that can both sequester carbon and improve the mechanical integrity of building structures. There is a pressing need to find renewable, bio-based alternatives that can perform at the same level as synthetic materials without the associated environmental or health costs.

The solution presented by the research team involves the production and functionalization of nanobiochar and its hybrid nanocomposites. By using mechanical methods like ball milling or chemical treatments, researchers can reduce the size of biochar particles to under 100 nanometers, which vastly increases their surface area and chemical reactivity. These particles can then be “tagged” or coated with specific molecules, such as silver nanoparticles for antimicrobial action or specific markers that target cancer cells. In construction, these nanoscale particles are integrated into cement and mortar, where they act as nucleation sites that promote a more thorough and stable hardening process. For energy storage, the high porosityPorosity of biochar is a key factor in its effectiveness as a soil amendment and its ability to retain water and nutrients. Biochar’s porosity is influenced by feedstock type and pyrolysis temperature, and it plays a crucial role in microbial activity and overall soil health. Biochar More and abundant oxygen-containing groups of biochar provide a versatile platform for building supercapacitors and batteries that can charge faster and last longer than those using conventional carbon.

The outcomes of these advancements reveal significant quantitative improvements across multiple sectors. In construction, the addition of softwood biochar nanoparticles was found to increase the flexural strength of mortar by 20%, while nanobiochar from apricot shells boosted compressive strength by 15% and fracture energy by a remarkable 98%. In the medical field, biochar nanocomposites functionalized with silver and copper demonstrated a 74% reduction in the death rate of cancerous cells in neuronal tissue, proving their efficacy as targeted therapy agents. Furthermore, the use of rice husk nanobiochar as a filler in natural rubber improved its tensile strength by 44%. These results confirm that biochar is no longer just a soil amendmentA soil amendment is any material added to the soil to enhance its physical or chemical properties, improving its suitability for plant growth. Biochar is considered a soil amendment as it can improve soil structure, water retention, nutrient availability, and microbial activity.   More but a high-performance material capable of replacing expensive synthetics, reducing industrial carbon footprints, and providing new, life-saving tools for modern medicine.

Source: Singh, P., Pathy, A., Sharma, S., Dhanorkar, M., Naeth, M. A., & Chang, S. X. (2026). Expanding the frontiers of nanobiochar and biochar nanocomposites as versatile biomaterials for sustainable development. Biochar, 8(15).