Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles by Leaves of Zero-Calorie Sweetener Herb (Stevia rebaudiana) and Their Nanoscopic Characterization by Spectroscopy and Microscopy

Enhanced binding interaction and antibacterial inhibition for nanometal oxide particles activated with Aloe Vulgarize through one-pot ultrasonication techniques

The interaction of green zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) with bacterial strains are still scarcely reported. This work was conducted to study the green-one-pot-synthesized ZnO NPs from the Aloe Vulgarize (AV) leaf peel extract assisted with different sonication techniques followed by the physicochemical, biological activities and molecular docking studies. The NPs structure was analyzed using FTIR, UV-vis and EDX. The morphology, particle size and crystallinity of ZnO NPs were identified using FESEM and XRD. It was found that the formed flower-like structure with sharp edge and fine size of particulates in ZnO NPs/AV could enhance the bacterial inhibition. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for all the tested bacterial strains is at 3.125 µg/ml and the bacterial growth curve are dependent on the ZnO NPs dosage. The results of disc diffusion revealed that the ZnO NPs/AV possess better antibacterial effect with bigger ZOI due to the presence of AV active ingredient. The molecular docking between active ingredients of AV in the NPs with the protein of IFCM and 1MWU revealed that low binding energy (Ebind = -6.56 kcal/mol and -8.99 kcal/mol, respectively) attributes to the excessive hydrogen bond from AV that highly influenced their interaction with the amino acid of the selected proteins. Finally, the cytotoxicity test on the biosynthesized ZnO NPs with concentration below 20 µg/ml are found nontoxic on the HDF cell. Overall, ZnO NPs/20 % AV (probe sonication) is considered as the best synthesis option due to its efficient one-pot method, short sonication time but own the best antibacterial effect.

Green Nanotechnology: Plant-Mediated Nanoparticle Synthesis and Application

The key pathways for synthesizing nanoparticles are physical and chemical, usually expensive and possibly hazardous to the environment. In the recent past, the evaluation of green chemistry or biological techniques for synthesizing metal nanoparticles from plant extracts has drawn the attention of many researchers. The literature on the green production of nanoparticles using various metals (i.e., gold, silver, zinc, titanium and palladium) and plant extracts is discussed in this study. The generalized mechanism of nanoparticle synthesis involves reduction, stabilization, nucleation, aggregation and capping, followed by characterization. During biosynthesis, major difficulties often faced in maintaining the structure, size and yield of particles can be solved by monitoring the development parameters such as temperature, pH and reaction period. To establish a widely accepted approach, researchers must first explore the actual process underlying the plant-assisted synthesis of a metal nanoparticle and its action on others. The green synthesis of NPs is gaining attention owing to its facilitation of the development of alternative, sustainable, safer, less toxic and environment-friendly approaches. Thus, green nanotechnology using plant extract opens up new possibilities for the synthesis of novel nanoparticles with the desirable characteristics required for developing biosensors, biomedicine, cosmetics and nano-biotechnology, and in electrochemical, catalytic, antibacterial, electronics, sensing and other applications.

Biosensing approaches to detect potential milk contaminants: a comprehensive review

Accidentally present contaminants or intentionally added adulterants in milk lead potentially to delivering not only unhealthy but seriously hazardous products. Thorough, fast and sensitive analytical tools are essential for monitoring of milk quality, and for screening of any objectionable contaminants. Biosensors represent an innovative, time-efficient and on-site solution to assess milk quality in addition to their specificity towards target analytes alongside high accuracy within such complex matrices. Most biosensors use antibodies, aptamers or enzymes as the bio-receptor and rely on optical, electrochemical or thermometric transduction to generate a signal. The simplest biosensors appear to be those based on a colorimetric assay, being simple and having a signal that can be detected visually. Electrochemical sensors are more specific and sensitive, though with more complicated designs, whereas thermometric sensors have not been thoroughly explored concerning biosensing contaminants in milk. This review discusses recent advances in the field of biosensors and analyzes the various methods of bio-recognition and transduction with regard to their advantages, limitations, and application to milk products. Additionally, challenges facing further development of these strategies to fulfil the increasing demand for fast and on-line milk quality control are also presented.

CS/Au/MWCNT nanohybrid as an efficient carrier for the sustained release of 5-FU and a study of its cytotoxicity on MCF-7

The chemical reduction method has been used to adeptly synthesize a CS/Au/MWCNT nanocomposite, to be used as a carrier for the effectual delivery of the anticancer drug 5-Fluorouracil. The work aims at utilizing the less investigated ternary nanocomposite system containing chitosan (CS), gold (Au) and MWCNT's to attain higher encapsulation efficiency and to enable a more sustained and prolonged release of 5-FU. This system has improved cytotoxicity when compared to the CS/Au binary system. The prepared sample has been characterized using various techniques that confirm the formation of the nanocomposite, encapsulation of 5-FU into the nanocomposite, the structure of 5-FU and Au in the nanocomposite and the formation of the polymer matrix nanocomposite. An increase in the encapsulation efficiency to 98% and loading efficiency to 43% is observed when compared to the binary composite, elucidating the importance of incorporation of carbon nanotubes into the nanocomposite. A reduction in the release percentage of 5-FU by 40% indicates a more prolonged release, which will enable a reduction of the number of dosages that need to be administered. This in turn leads to a reduction in the side effects posed by the drug 5-FU. Moreover, the effectiveness of the drug loaded nanocomposite system towards the inhibition of breast cancer cells, apparent from the attainment of 50% cell viability while taking sample concentrations as low as 25 μg ml-1, makes this ternary nanocomposite superior and significant.

Bioavailability assessment of zinc enriched lactobacillus biomass in a human colon carcinoma cell line (Caco-2)

The present study utilizes lactobacilli strains having the potential to accumulate a significant amount of Zinc (Zn) in their biomass and ability to deliver the same mineral in a highly bioavailable form. A human origin Lactobacillus fermentum SR4 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) were studied for their ability to accumulate Zn by growing them in the medium containing Zn salt. Further, Zn enriched cell lysates were prepared by Ultrasonication, as an organic Zn source. Various functional groups involved in bacterial Zn binding were identified by FT-IR spectroscopy and elemental Zn in bio-chelated cell lysate complex was confirmed by SEM and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry (EDX). Experimental data demonstrated a significantly higher (P < 0.05) bioavailability of Zn chelated by SR4 followed by LGG i.e., 57% and 48%, as compared to the commercially available inorganic (ZnSo₄) and even organic (Zinc gluconate) forms tested which has 15.6% and 21.7% respectively.

Nanotechnological approaches for the development of herbal drugs in treatment of diabetes mellitus - a critical review

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic illness that requires continuing medical care and patient self-management education to prevent acute complications and to reduce the risk of long-term complications. The number of people with diabetes is increasing due to population growth, ageing, urbanisation and increasing prevalence of obesity and physical inactivity. Apart from currently available therapeutic options, many herbal medicines have been recommended for the treatment of diabetes. Herbal drugs are prescribed widely because of their effectiveness, less side effects and relatively low cost. Several pharmacopoeias have provided parameters to maintain quality and standardise procedures in identification/authentication of herbal inputs and their products. Available literature related to folklore medicine used in the treatment of diabetes extended to nanoformulation of herbal drugs up to date was cited. The use of bioactive compounds leads to new hope to improve the life expectancy and health status of the population for the formulation of novel drugs. Recently, many studies have shown that nanotechnology has the potential to be used in different biological and medical applications, mainly as targeted drug delivery systems to minimise and delay the chronic effects of diabetes. Herein, the authors presented a thorough review of the available herbal medicines and the possibilities of developing their nanoformulations in the treatment of DM.

A voltammetric biosensor based on poly(o-methoxyaniline)-gold nanocomposite modified electrode for the simultaneous determination of dopamine and folic acid

Dopamine (DA) and Folic acid (FA) are co-existing compounds in biological fluids that plays a vital role in central nervous system and human metabolism. DA is an important neurotransmitter in the brain's neural circuits and its diminution often results in Parkinson's disease. Folate is another form of folic acid, which is known as one of the B vitamins. It is utilized as an additive by women during pregnancy in order to prevent the neural tube defects. The present study reports on the fabrication of electrochemical sensor for the simultaneous determination of DA and FA using poly(o-methoxyaniline)-gold (POMA-Au) nanocomposite. The POMA-Au nanocomposite was prepared via insitu chemical oxidative polymerization method and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The suitability of POMA-Au nanocomposite as a modifier for the electrocatalytic detection of DA and FA in aqueous solution was investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and chronoamperometry (CA) techniques. The fabricated POMA-Au/GCE sensor exhibited sharp and intense peaks towards the electro-oxidation of DA and FA as compared to bare electrode. The sensor exhibited the promising electron mediating behavior with well separated oxidation peaks with a potential difference of about 350.0 mV. The linear calibration plots of DA and FA were obtained from 10.0 to 300.0 μM and 0.5 to 900.0 μM with the detection limits of 0.062 μM and 0.090 μM, respectively. The reliability of this sensor was verified to be precise as well as sensitive for the determination of DA and FA in pharmaceutical samples and human urine samples.

Physicochemical study of natural fractionated biocolloid by asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation in tandem with various complementary techniques using biologically synthesized silver nanocomposites

Asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation coupled with use of ultraviolet–visible, multiangle light scattering (MALLS), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) detectors was used for separation and characterization of biologically synthesized silver composites in two liquid compositions. Moreover, to supplement the DLS/MALLS information, various complementary techniques such as transmission electron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) were used. The hydrodynamic diameter and the radius of gyration of silver composites were slightly larger than the sizes obtained by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Moreover, the TEM results revealed the presence of silver clusters and even several morphologies, including multitwinned. Additionally, MALDI-TOF MS examination showed that the particles have an uncommon cluster structure. It can be described as being composed of two or more silver clusters. The organic surface of the nanoparticles can modify their dispersion. We demonstrated that the variation of the silver surface coating directly influenced the migration rate of biologically synthesized silver composites. Moreover, this study proves that the fractionation mechanism of silver biocolloids relies not only on the particle size but also on the type and mass of the surface coatings. Because silver nanoparticles typically have size-dependent cytotoxicity, this behavior is particularly relevant for biomedical applications.

Graphical abstract

Recent advances in plant-mediated engineered gold nanoparticles and their application in biological system

For biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles different parts of a plant are used as they contain metabolites such as alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, terpenoids, alcohols, sugars and proteins which act as reducing agents to produce nanoparticles. They also act as capping agent and stabilizer for them. They are used in medicine, agriculture and many other technologies. The attention is therefore focussed on all plant species which have either aroma or colour in their leaves, flowers or roots for the synthesis of nanoparticles because they all contain such chemicals which reduce the metal ions to metal nanoparticles. The size and morphology of gold nanoparticles is dependent on the biogenic-synthetic route, incubation time, temperature, concentration and pH of the solution. In this review, we have discussed the latest developments for the fabrication of gold nanoparticles from herbal extract, their characterization by UV-vis., Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering and Zeta Potential techniques. Their application in drug delivery, cancer treatment, catalysis and as antimicrobial agent has also been discussed.

Chitosan stabilized Ag-Au nanoalloy for colorimetric sensing and 5-Fluorouracil delivery

Fluorescent CS/Ag-Au (chitosan/silver-gold) nanocomposite containing different weight percentage of Ag and Au was synthesized using the chemical reduction method. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) encapsulated nanocomposite was also synthesized and its cytotoxicity towards breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7) studied. The XRD pattern of the nanocomposite shows peaks of chitosan, silver and gold. The peaks corresponding to gold and silver indicate the face centered cubic structure of silver and gold nanoparticles. The polymer matrix nanocomposite structure with chitosan as the matrix and silver-gold as the filler phase is evident from the high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images and an increase in particle size from∼5nm to about 12nm is noticeable on encapsulation of 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU). The presence of fluorine in the case of 5-FU encapsulated nanocomposite and the presence of reflections corresponding to 5-FU in the SAED pattern confirms the encapsulation of 5-FU into the nanocomposite, which is also confirmed by elemental mapping. The presence of a single surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak in the case of the nanocomposite in a position in between the SPR bands of pure silver and gold nanoparticles confirms the formation of Ag-Au alloy and the elemental mapping results obtained for the nanocomposite also supports the UV-vis results. The photoluminescence (PL) spectrum clearly shows an emission peak in the near infrared region (700-900nm), which makes the nanocomposite suitable for use in cellular imaging. The application of the nanocomposite as a colorimetric sensor was also studied and it was found to be useful for the specific detection of mercury (Hg) without much interference and the detection limit was found to be 5.0×10^-8M.

RETRACTED: Green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles using Moringa oleifera leaf extract and evaluation of its antimicrobial activity

The development of semiconductor materials made a considerable progress of catalytic technologies. In the present study, a simple and eco-friendly chemical direction for the synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) using leaf extract of Moringa oleifera has been used. The prepared ZnO NPs were characterized various techniques such as UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). XRD analysis revealed the wurtzite hexagonal structure of ZnO NPs. FT-IR confirmed the presence of functional groups of both leaf extract and ZnO NPs. The particles size, morphology and topography determined from FE-SEM. The intense and narrow width of zinc and oxygen have high purity and crystalline were identified using EDX. UV-Vis absorption showed the characteristic absorption peak of ZnO NPs. The results of antimicrobial activities revealed that maximum zones of inhibition was observed Gram (+ve) positive bacteria and followed by the Gram (-ve) negative bacteria and fungal at concentration of 200μg/mL of ZnO NPs.

RETRACTED: Facile, eco-friendly and template free photosynthesis of cauliflower like ZnO nanoparticles using leaf extract of Tamarindus indica (L.) and its biological evolution of antibacterial and antifungal activities

In the present investigation, we chose the very simple and eco-friendly chemical method for synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles from leaf extract of Tamarindus indica (L.) (T. indica) and developed the new green route for synthesis of nanoparticles. Formed product has been studied by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and with corresponding energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). Mainly, the present results depicted that the synthesized nanoproducts are moderately stable, hexagonal phase, roughly spherical with maximum particles in size range within 19-37 nm in diameter. The antibacterial and fungal activities of aqueous extracts of T. indica were ended with corresponding disk diffusion and Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC). The highest mean zones of inhibition were observed in the ZnO NPs (200 μg/mL) against Staphylococcus aureus (13.1±0.28). Finally, it can be concluded that microbial activity of ZnO NPs has more susceptible S. aureus than the other micro organisms. Further, the present investigation suggests that ZnO NPs has the potential applications for various medical and industrial fields.

A study on the stability and green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Ziziphora tenuior (Zt) extract at room temperature

Biomolecules present in plant extracts can be used to reduce metal ions to nanoparticles in a single-step green synthesis process. This biogenic reduction of metal ion to base metal is quite rapid, readily conducted at room temperature and pressure, and easily scaled up. Mediated Synthesis by plant extracts is environmentally benign. The involved reducing agents include the various water soluble plant metabolites (e.g. alkaloids, phenolic compounds, terpenoids) and co-enzymes. Silver (Ag) nanoparticles have the particular focus of plant-based syntheses. Extracts of a diverse range of Ziziphora tenuior (Zt) have been successfully used in making nanoparticles. The aim of this study was to investigate the antioxidant properties of this plant and its ability to synthesize silver nanoparticles. Z.tenuior leaves were used to prepare the aqueous extract for this study. Silver nanoparticles were characterized with different techniques such as UV-vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Transmission electron microscopy experiments showed that these nanoparticles are spherical and uniformly distributed and its size is from 8 to 40 nm. FT-IR spectroscopy revealed that silver nanoparticles were functionalized with biomolecules that have primary amine group (NH₂), carbonyl group, -OH groups and other stabilizing functional groups. X-ray diffraction pattern showed high purity and face centered cubic structure of silver nanoparticles with size of 38 nm. In addition to plant extracts, live plants can be used for the synthesis. Here were view the methods of making nanoparticles using plant extracts. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) implies the right of forming silver nanoparticles. The results of TEM, SEM, FT-IR, UV-VIS and XRD confirm that the leaves extract of Zt can synthesis silver nanoparticles.

Green synthesis of gold nanoparticles and its application for the trace level determination of painter's colic

The green synthesis of metal nanoparticles is found to be more attractive in various disciplines, including in analytical chemistry for heavy metal ion sensing.

An in vitro cytotoxicity study of 5-fluorouracil encapsulated chitosan/gold nanocomposites towards MCF-7 cells

Schematic outlining the synthesis of 5FU loaded CS/Au nanocomposite and its application.

Bioactive compound loaded stable silver nanoparticle synthesis from microwave irradiated aqueous extracellular leaf extracts of Naringi crenulata and its wound healing activity in experimental rat model

An efficient and eco-friendly protocol for the synthesis of bioactive silver nanoparticles was developed using Naringi crenulata leaf extracts via microwave irradiation method. Silver nanoparticles were synthesized by treating N. crenulata leaf extracts with 1mM of aqueous silver nitrate solution. An effective bioactive compound such as alkaloids, phenols, saponins and quinines present in the N. crenulata reduces the Ag(+) into Ag(0). The synthesized silver nanoparticles were monitored by UV-vis spectrophotometer and further characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infra Red (FTIR), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). UV-vis spectroscopy showed maximum absorbance at 390nm due to surface plasmon resonance of AgNPs. From FESEM results, an average crystal size of the synthesized nanoparticle was 72-98nm. FT-IR results showed sharp absorption peaks and they were assigned to phosphine, alkyl halides and sulfonate groups. Silver nanoparticles synthesized were generally found to be spherical and cubic shape. Topical application of ointment prepared from silver nanoparticles of N. crenulata were formulated and evaluated in vivo using the excision wound healing model on Wistar albino rats. The measurement of the wound areas was performed on 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th and 15th days and the percentage of wound closures was calculated accordingly. By the 15th day, the ointment base containing 5% (w/w) of silver nanoparticles showed 100% wound healing activity compared with that of the reference as well as control bases. The results strongly suggested that the batch C ointment containing silver nanaoparticles synthesized from the leaf extracts of N. crenulata was found to be very effective in wound repair and encourages harnessing the potentials of the plant biomolecules loaded silver nanoparticle in the treatment of tropical diseases including wound healing.

Insights into biogenic and chemical production of inorganic nanomaterials and nanostructures

The synthesis of inorganic nanomaterials and nanostructures by the means of diverse physical, chemical, and biological principles has been developed in recent decades. The nanoscale materials and structures creation continue to be an active area of researches due to the exciting properties of the resulting nanomaterials and their innovative applications. Despite physical and chemical approaches which have been used for a long time to produce nanomaterials, biological resources as green candidates that can replace old production methods have been focused in recent years to generate various inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) or other nanoscale structures. Cost-effective, eco-friendly, energy efficient, and nontoxic produced nanomaterials using diverse biological entities have been received increasing attention in the last two decades in contrast to physical and chemical methods owe using toxic solvents, generate unwanted by-products, and high energy consumption which restrict the popularity of these ways employed in nanometric science and engineering. In this review, the biosynthesis of gold, silver, gold-silver alloy, magnetic, semiconductor nanocrystals, silica, zirconia, titania, palladium, bismuth, selenium, antimony sulfide, and platinum NPs, using bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi, yeasts, plant extracts and also informational bio-macromolecules including proteins, polypeptides, DNA, and RNA have been reported extensively to mention the current status of the biological inorganic nanomaterial production. In other hand, two well-known wet chemical techniques, namely chemical reduction and sol-gel methods, used to produce various types of nanocrystalline powders, metal oxides, and hybrid organic-inorganic nanomaterials have presented.

Nanosilver particle production using juglans regia L. (Walnut) leaf extract

BACKGROUND

The production of nanoparticles using a biosystem is considered green chemistry. Application of plant extracts as a biological process has been proven to be suitable for synthesis of nanoparticles.

OBJECTIVES

This study designed in order to evaluate the production of silver nanoparticles using Juglans regia leaf extract and to compare the outcome of different preparation methods of plant extracts (ethanolic extract, boiling water extract and plant powder) for the generation of nanoparticles.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

THE REACTION MIXTURE CONTAINED THE FOLLOWING INGREDIENTS: AgNO3 (10 mM) as the biotransformation substrate, plant extract or powder as the biocatalyst, glucose (560 mM) as the electron donor, phosphate buffer (pH = 7, 100 mM) and ethanol 70% as the solvent in the reaction mixture. The samples were taken from the reaction mixtures at different times, and the absorbance (450 nm) of the colloidal suspensions of silver nanoparticle hydrosols was recorded immediately following dilution (1:80) so as to preserve its freshness.

RESULTS

UV-visible spectrophotometer analysis revealed that the direct application of powder of the walnut leaf was the most efficient technique. TEM (Transmission electron microscopy) micrograph obtained by using this method revealed the generation of aggregated polydisperse, quasi-spherical nanoparticles in sizes of 10-50 nm. Ethonolic extract resulted in single silver nanoparticles which were nearly monodisperse, spherical, and individual nanoparticles ranged in size from 1-5 nm. Therefore, using direct powder of Walnut created more particles but applying ethanolic extract synthesized particles with smaller dimensions and no aggregation.

CONCLUSIONS

Different preparation methods of Juglans regia influence silver nanoparticles formation.

Synthesis characterization and catalytic action of hexagonal gold nanoparticles using essential oils extracted from Anacardium occidentale

A new phytochemical method for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles is reported. The essential oils extracted from the fresh leaves of Anacardium occidentale are used for the reduction of auric acid to Au nanoparticles (NPs). The formation and morphology of synthesized NPs are investigated with the help of UV-visible, TEM and FTIR spectroscopy. The NPs synthesized at room temperature are mono-dispersed and hexagonal in shape with an average size of 36 nm while those prepared at higher temperature are composed of a mixture of anisotropic particles. The UV-visible absorption spectra of these anisotropic NPs show asymmetry in the longer wavelength side. The quantity of oil is an important criterion modulating the shape of NPs. Possible biochemical mechanism leading to the formation of NPs is studied using FTIR spectroscopy. The potential of synthesized Au NPs as catalyst is explored for the hydrogenation of p-nitro phenol to p-amino phenol at room temperature.

Novel microbial route to synthesize ZnO nanoparticles using Aeromonas hydrophila and their activity against pathogenic bacteria and fungi

In the present work, we describe a low-cost, unreported and simple procedure for biosynthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) using reproducible bacteria, Aeromonas hydrophila as eco-friendly reducing and capping agent. UV-vis spectroscopy, XRD, FTIR, AFM, NC-AFM and FESEM with EDX analyses were performed to ascertain the formation and characterization of ZnO NPs. The synthesized ZnO NPs were characterized by a peak at 374 nm in the UV-vis spectrum. XRD confirmed the crystalline nature of the nanoparticles and AFM showed the morphology of the nanoparticle to be spherical, oval with an average size of 57.72 nm. Synthesized ZnO NPs showed the XRD peaks at 31.75°, 34.37°, 47.60°, 56.52°, 66.02° and 75.16° were identified as (100), (002), (101), (102), (110), (112) and (202) reflections, respectively. Rietveld analysis to the X-ray data indicated that ZnO NPs have hexagonal unit cell at crystalline level. The size and topological structure of the ZnO NPs was measured by NC-AFM. The morphological characterization of synthesized nanoparticles was analyzed by FESEM and chemical composition by EDX. The antibacterial and antifungal activity was ended with corresponding well diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration. The maximum zone of inhibition was observed in the ZnO NPs (25 μg/mL) against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (22±1.8 mm) and Aspergillus flavus (19±1.0 mm). Bacteria-mediated ZnO NPs were synthesized and proved to be a good novel antimicrobial material for the first time in this study.

Green synthesis of biogenic metal nanoparticles by terrestrial and aquatic phototrophic and heterotrophic eukaryotes and biocompatible agents

The size, shape and controlled dispersity of nanoparticles play a vital role in determining the physical, chemical, optical and electronic properties attributing its applications in environmental, biotechnological and biomedical fields. Various physical and chemical processes have been exploited in the synthesis of several inorganic metal nanoparticles by wet and dry approaches viz., ultraviolet irradiation, aerosol technologies, lithography, laser ablation, ultrasonic fields, and photochemical reduction techniques. However, these methodologies remain expensive and involve the use of hazardous chemicals. Therefore, there is a growing concern for the development of alternative environment friendly and sustainable methods. Increasing awareness towards green chemistry and biological processes has led to a necessity to develop simple, cost-effective and eco-friendly procedures. Phototrophic eukaryotes such as plants, algae, and diatoms and heterotrophic human cell lines and some biocompatible agents have been reported to synthesize greener nanoparticles like cobalt, copper, silver, gold, bimetallic alloys, silica, palladium, platinum, iridium, magnetite and quantum dots. Owing to the diversity and sustainability, the use of phototrophic and heterotrophic eukaryotes and biocompatible agents for the synthesis of nanomaterials is yet to be fully explored. This review describes the recent advancements in the green synthesis and applications of metal nanoparticles by plants, aquatic autotrophs, human cell lines, biocompatible agents and biomolecules.

Functionalized gold nanoparticles and films stabilized by in situ formed polyeugenol

Eugenol (2-methoxy-4-allyl-phenol) was used as a reducing agent for one-pot synthesis of gold nanoparticles in a mild alkaline aqueous/organic solution at room temperature. In this reaction, eugenol acts also as a stabilizing agent, since it undergoes polymerization upon oxidation. As a result, stable colloids of polyeugenol (PE)-capped gold nanoparticles are formed during the reaction with the average particle size of 44 nm. Moreover, conducting supports, such as ITO glass, are covered by Au/PE composite film when immersed in the reaction medium. The modified ITO shows redox activity assignable to residual quinone moieties of PE with redox couples at a potential range of -0.2 to 0.4V (vs. Ag/AgCl at pH 7.4). Redox properties of Au/PE nanoparticulate films can be exploited for the electrocatalytic oxidation of NADH with over 0.5 V reduction of the reaction overpotential vs. unmodified ITO. Nanoparticulate composite films were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, XPS and FT-IR spectroscopy. The characterization revealed structural similarity of the formed PE to lignin.

Phytosynthesis of Au, Ag and Au-Ag bimetallic nanoparticles using aqueous extract and dried leaf of Anacardium occidentale

Present study reports a green chemistry approach for the biosynthesis of Au, Ag, Au-Ag alloy and Au core-Ag shell nanoparticles using the aqueous extract and dried powder of Anacardium occidentale leaf. The effects of quantity of extract/powder, temperature and pH on the formation of nanoparticles are studied. The nanoparticles are characterized using UV-vis and FTIR spectroscopies, XRD, HRTEM and SAED analyses. XRD studies show that the particles are crystalline in the cubic phase. The formation of Au core-Ag shell nanoparticles is evidenced by the dark core and light shell images in TEM and is supported by the appearance of two SPR bands in the UV-vis spectrum. FTIR spectra of the leaf powder before and after the bioreduction of nanoparticles are used to identify possible functional groups responsible for the reduction and capping of nanoparticles. Water soluble biomolecules like polyols and proteins are expected to bring about the bio-reduction.

Biosynthesis and characterization of gold nanoparticles produced by laccase from Paraconiothyrium variabile

During recent years investigation on the development of eco-friendly processes for production of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) have received much attention due to hazardous effects of chemical compounds used for nanoparticle preparation. In the present study, the purified laccase from Paraconiothyrium variabile was applied for synthesis of Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) and the properties of produced nanoparticles were characterized. The UV-vis spectrum of formed AuNPs showed a peak at 530 nm related to surface plasmon absorbance of GNPs represented the formation of gold nanoparticles after 20 min incubation of HAuCl(4) (0.6 mM) in the presence of 73 U laccase at 70°C. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image of AuNPs showed well dispersed nanoparticles in the range of 71-266 nm as determined by the laser light scattering method. The pattern of energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) of the prepared GNPs confirmed the structure of gold nanocrystals.

Murraya Koenigii leaf-assisted rapid green synthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles

A facile bottom-up 'green' and rapid synthetic route using Murraya Koenigii leaf extract as reducing and stabilizing agent produced silver nanoparticles at ambient conditions and gold nanoparticles at 373 K. The nanoparticles were characterized using UV-vis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and FTIR analysis. This method allows the synthesis of well-dispersed silver and gold nanoparticles having size ∼10 nm and ∼20 nm, respectively. Silver nanoparticles with size ∼10 nm having symmetric SPR band centered at 411 nm is obtained within 5 min of addition of the extract to the solution of AgNO3 at room temperature. Nearly spherical gold nanoparticles having size ∼20 nm with SPR at 532 nm is obtained on adding the leaf extract to the boiling solution of HAuCl4. Crystallinity of the nanoparticles is confirmed from the high-resolution TEM images, selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and XRD patterns. From the FTIR spectra it is found that the biomolecules responsible for capping are different in gold and silver nanoparticles. A comparison of the present work with the author's earlier reports on biosynthesis is also included.