Phytosynthesis of Nanoparticles and Its Applications - A Review

The biosynthesis of nanoparticles is established as an emerging area of nanoscience research and development due to a growing need to develop environmentally benign method for nanoparticle synthesis. Biosynthetic methods using either biological microorganisms or plant extracts have emerged as a simple and viable alternative to chemical synthetic procedures and physical methods. Most of the chemical and physical methods are still in the developmental stage and various problems are often experienced with the stability of nanoparticles preparations, control of crystal growth and aggregation of particles. Recently, development of ecofriendly procedures for the synthesis of metal nanoparticles through plant mediated process is evolving an important branch of nanobiotechnology. It offers controlled synthesis of metal nanoparticle with well defined shape, size and composition. Plant parts such as leaf, root, latex, seed, and stem are being used for metal nanoparticle synthesis. Greener synthesis of nanoparticles provides advancement over other methods as it is simple, cost effective, stable for long time and reproducible. The nanoparticles are rapidly synthesized due to the exposure of metal salts to the plant extracts. The size and shape of nanoparticle are modulated by varying the ratio of metal salt, pH, temperature and concentration of the plant extract in the reaction medium. This review summarizes the phytosynthesis of nanoparticles, factors influencing its synthesis and its applications.