Nanoparticles: synthesis and applications

Nanoparticles are materials engineered at the scale of one to one hundred nanometers, where size alone can dramatically alter how a substance behaves chemically and biologically. Silver nanoparticles have drawn particular attention because they kill a wide range of bacteria, raising hopes for new antimicrobial coatings and treatments at a time when antibiotic resistance is worsening — but the same properties that make them lethal to pathogens can also harm human cells and accumulate in ecosystems in ways that are not yet fully understood. Researchers are actively developing greener synthesis routes, using plant extracts and microorganisms instead of harsh chemicals, both to reduce production costs and to make the nanoparticles themselves less environmentally disruptive. Central open questions include how nanoparticle shape, surface chemistry, and concentration interact to determine toxicity thresholds, and whether the benefits of antimicrobial nanomaterials can be reliably separated from their risks across diverse biological and environmental contexts.

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Keywords

NanoparticlesAntimicrobialToxicitySilverNanomaterialsBiological Synthesis