The “End Life” of the Grape Pomace Waste Become the New Beginning: The Development of a Virtuous Cycle for the Green Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles and Removal of Emerging Contaminants from Water

During the last decades, the demand for processes developed according to the Circular Economy Principles has increased, searching for an alternative life for wastes. For this purpose, a one-pot green approach is exploited during this work to synthesize gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) by using grape pomace waste from Vitis vinifera. A raw aqueous extract of grape seeds, skin, and stems is used for AuNPs synthesis. UV-Vis, XPS, SEM, and ATR-FTIR spectroscopies demonstrate the main role of the extract’s polyphenolic components in stabilizing nanoparticles. XRD, DLS, and Zeta Potential analyses were used to characterize AuNPs. Moreover, the ionic strength, pH, and temperature role was investigated through the Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) band observation to assess AuNPs’ stability and photostability. For foreseeing the as-synthesized AuNPs’ potential use in cosmetic and biomedical fields as multifunctional platforms, their antioxidant, and skin-lightening properties were tested, together with their sunscreen ability. A preliminary in-vitro evaluation is reported about the AuNPs’ cytoprotective effects against H O oxidative stress-induced in normal human dermal fibroblasts. Briefly, the possibility of reusing the grape pomace waste after the AuNPs synthesis as an adsorbent for the efficient removal of emergent contaminants is preliminarily discussed in the paper, further valorizing the use of waste according to a bio circular approach.