Biological Nanofactories: Using Living Forms for Metal Nanoparticle Synthesis

Abstract

: Metal nanoparticles are nanosized entities with dimensions of 1-100 nm that are increasingly in demand due to applications in diverse fields like electronics, sensing, environmental remediation, oil recovery and drug delivery. Metal nanoparticles possess large surface energy and properties different from bulk materials due to their small size, large surface area with free dangling bonds and higher reactivity. High cost and pernicious effects associated with the chemical and physical methods of nanoparticle synthesis are gradually paving the way for biological methods due to their eco-friendly nature. Considering the vast potentiality of microbes and plants as sources, biological synthesis can serve as a green technique for the synthesis of nanoparticles as an alternative to conventional methods. A number of reviews are available on green synthesis of nanoparticles but few have focused on covering the entire biological agents in this process. Therefore present paper describes the use of various living organisms like bacteria, fungi, algae, bryophytes and tracheophytes in the biological synthesis of metal nanoparticles, the mechanisms involved and the advantages associated therein.

Nanoparticles: Synthesis and Their Role as Potential Drug Candidates for the Treatment of Parasitic Diseases

“…Various methods of synthesis of NPs have been developed based on the size required, shape, or composition of the materials [ 17 ]. The properties of the materials greatly influence all these parameters.…”

“…Photochemical and thermal disintegration involves the decomposition of NP precursors at high temperatures in boiling solvents [ 19 ]. However, it is very difficult to attain the unstable NP phase from the reactive phase because of the high temperature [ 17 ]. The process is endothermic because high temperatures are required to break the bonds of the starting materials.…”

“…Electric current passes between two electrodes due to the presence of electrolytes. This method is used to synthesize metallic NPs [ 17 ]. The dissolved, metal-based anode sheet and metal-based salt are reduced to metallic particles at the cathode.…”

“…Parasites are considered more pathogenic to animals and humans than bacteria because they cause chronic diseases [ 17 ]. They may live for years in the environment and their hosts due to their complex life cycle stages [ 88 ].…”

Nanotechnology-A New Frontier in Medical Microbiology

“…Secure and cost viable novel materials are designed utilizing the viral like protein frames for biomedical imaging, Bioengineering, Drug Design, Enzyme Technology, etc. Additionally, synthesis of nanomaterials utilizing the energy of microorganisms also opens a new-fangled opportunity for 'green' synthesis, which is eco-friendly cost-effective process (Ahmad et al 2016;Prasad et al 2016Prasad et al , 2018Prasad 2019a, b;Srivastava et al 2021). Multidrug resistance is the present day concern (Andersson and Hughes 2010;Magiorakos et al 2012).…”