Nanoparticles: synthesis and applications

Nanoparticles are materials engineered at scales between roughly 1 and 100 nanometers, where physical and chemical properties can differ sharply from those of the same substance in bulk form — a difference that makes them useful for targeted drug delivery, diagnostics, and killing drug-resistant bacteria. Silver nanoparticles in particular have attracted sustained attention because of their potent antimicrobial activity, yet the same reactivity that makes them lethal to pathogens also raises concerns about toxicity to human cells and accumulation in aquatic and soil environments. Researchers are actively pursuing greener synthesis routes — using plant extracts or microorganisms rather than harsh chemical reducing agents — to produce nanoparticles with better-controlled size and surface chemistry while reducing environmental burden. Central open questions include how nanoparticle shape, coating, and aggregation state govern the balance between therapeutic efficacy and cytotoxicity, and how to reliably predict long-term ecological fate once these materials enter waste streams.

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Keywords

NanoparticlesAntimicrobialToxicitySilverNanomaterialsBiological Synthesis