Environmental worsening, energy crises, and various other
factors
have enhanced the demand for facile, cheap, and green approaches for
creating emerging materials from bioresources. In recent times, graphene
quantum dots (GQDs) are the most developing zero-dimensional nanomaterials
owing to exclusive electronic and optical properties. Biomass-derived
GQDs have been considered an advanced material and have gained complete
attention because of their green, inexpensive, nonsustainable, environmental-friendly,
and recyclable nature. This review elucidates the current challenges
and the use of bioprecursors (e.g., rice husk, plant leaves, honey,
coffee) and the methodologies (top-down and bottom-up) of their conversion
into ecofriendly GQDs. Biomass resources are converted into ecofriendly
GQDs and a facile, low-cost, scalable synthesis. Biomass-derived GQDs
are in great demand due to attractive properties like large surface
area, low toxicity, and good biocompatibility. Various parameters
like absorption, surface and edge states, and quantum confinement
affecting the physical, chemical, and electrochemical properties of
GQDs are discussed. This review also focuses further on the result
of heteroatom doping, pH, and solvent on the photoluminescence (PL)
emission of GQDs. The optical and electrochemical sensors based on
biomass-derived GQDs are explored in detail. Biomass-derived GQDs
have tremendous performance in the biomedical field and energy applications
due to their very low toxicity and biocompatibility. This review addresses
the future approaches and possible research directions in biomass-derived
GQDs. GQDs display minimal cytotoxic reactivity, superior biocompatibility,
and chemical insensitivity. To enhance the optoelectronic and physicochemical
characteristics of GQDs, their properties can be tuned via surface/edge
functionalization or doping. Monitoring the concentrations of pollution
gases severely harming the biosphere requires developing more precise
and sensitive sensors. Doped GQDs can significantly increase their
capacity to adsorb. The reliable gas sensors based on doped GQDs could
be a viable replacement for the present sensors available in the market.