Nanoparticles in microalgae biorefineries: Insights from a bibliometric analysis

Abstract

Nanomaterials have the potential to revolutionize the microalgae industry by addressing challenges faced by microalgae biorefinery and enabling sustainable production of biomass, biofuels, and high-value compounds. There is a growing emphasis on harnessing nanotechnology to accelerate the progress and development of microalgae biomass as a viable and eco-friendly feedstock for producing biofuels and other valuable products. This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of global research trends on microalgae – nanoparticle studies from 2010 to 30^th October 2025. Data were retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS). A total of 2,330 relevant documents were identified and analyzed using the WoS, VOSviewer and Microsoft Excel. Results revealed that research articles were the most dominant publication type (83.4%), followed by review papers (10.8%). Publication output increased steadily over the years, reflecting rising scientific interest in nanotechnology-enhanced microalgae research. The global distribution of publications revealed Asia as the leading contributor, with China (498) and India (476) ranking highest, followed by the USA (314). In Africa, Egypt (128) contributes the most, followed by South Africa (24), Nigeria (15), and Ethiopia (14). The keyword co-occurrence analysis revealed four major thematic research clusters: nanoparticle toxicity and environmental impacts, nanoparticle-enhanced microalgae biorefinery for biofuel production, green synthesis of nanoparticles using microalgae, and metal oxide nanoparticle interactions with freshwater microalgae. Overall, this bibliometric analysis highlights growing interdisciplinary focus and provides valuable insight for guiding future research directions in microalgae – nanotechnology applications.