See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/273203342

A Review on Nanoparticles: Their Synthesis and Types

Article · February 2015

CITATIONS READS
63 101,775

1 author:

Saba Hasan
Amity University
21 PUBLICATIONS   278 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE

All content following this page was uploaded by Saba Hasan on 07 March 2015.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 Research Journal of Recent Sciences _________________________________________________ ISSN 2277-2502
Vol. 4(ISC-2014), 1-3 (2015) Res. J. Recent. Sci.

A Review on Nanoparticles: Their Synthesis and Types

Saba Hasan
Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh (Lucknow Campus), Gomti Nagar Extension, Lucknow UP, INDIA
Available online at: www.isca.in, www.isca.me
Received 24th November 2014, revised 9th February 2015, accepted 11th February 2015
Abstract
Nanotechnology refers to the creation and utilization of materials whose constituents exist at the nanoscale; and, by
convention, be up to 100 nm in size. Nanotechnology explores electrical, optical, and magnetic activity as well as structural
behavior at the molecular and submolecular level. It has the potential to revolutionize a series of medical and biotechnology
tools and procedures so that they are portable, cheaper, safer, and easier to administer. Nanoparticles are being used for
diverse purposes, from medical treatments, using in various branches of industry production such as solar and oxide fuel
batteries for energy storage, to wide incorporation into diverse materials of everyday use such as cosmetics or clothes,
optical devices, catalytic, bactericidal, electronic, sensor technology, biological labelling and treatment of some cancers. due
to their exceptional properties including antibacterial activity, high resistance to oxidation and high thermal conductivity,
nanoparticles have attracted considerable attention in recent years. Nanoparticles can be synthesized chemically or
biologically. Metallic nanoparticles that have immense applications in industries are of different types, namely, Gold, Silver,
Alloy, magnetic etc. This study aims to present an overview of nanoparticles, with special reference to their mechanism of
biosynthesis and types.

Keywords: Nanoparticles, silver, bactericidal, thermal conductivity, optical devices.

Introduction prokaryotes and eukaryotes are used for synthesis of metallic

nanoparticles viz. silver, gold, platinum, zirconium, palladium,
Nanotechnology refers to an emerging field of science that iron, cadmium and metal oxides such as titanium oxide, zinc
includes synthesis and development of various nanomaterials. oxide, etc. These microorganisms include bacteria,
Nanoparticles can be defined as objects ranging in size from 1- actinomycetes, fungi and algae. The synthesis of nanoparticles
100 nm that due to their size may differ from the bulk material. may be intracellular or extracellular according to the location of
Presently, different metallic nanomaterials are being produced nanoparticles11,12.
using copper, zinc, titanium, magnesium, gold, alginate and
silver. Nanoparticles are being used for diverse purposes, from Intracellular synthesis of nanoparticles by fungi: This
medical treatments, using in various branches of industry method involves transport of ions into microbial cells to form
production such as solar and oxide fuel batteries for energy nanoparticles in the presence of enzymes. As compared to the
storage, to wide incorporation into diverse materials of everyday size of extracellularly reduced nanoparticles, the nanoparticles
use such as cosmetics or clothes 1. formed inside the organism are smaller. The size limit is
probably related to the particles nucleating inside the
Synthesis of Nanoparticles organisms13.
Nanoparticles can be synthesized chemically or biologically. Extracellular synthesis of nanoparticles by fungi:
Many adverse effects have been associated with chemical Extracellular synthesis of nanoparticles has more applications as
synthesis methods due to the presence of some toxic chemical compared to intracellular synthesis since it is void of
absorbed on the surface. Eco friendly alternatives to Chemical unnecessary adjoining cellular components from the cell.
and physical methods are Biological ways of nanoparticles Mostly, fungi are known to produce nanoparticles
synthesis using microorganisms2,3, enzymes4, fungus5, and extracellularly because of their enormous secretory components,
plants or plant extracts6,7. The development of these eco friendly which are involved in the reduction and capping of
methods for the synthesis of nanoparticles is evolving into an nanoparticles13.
important branch of nanotechnology especially silver
nanoparticles, which have many applications8-10. Microbes for production of nanoparticles: Both unicellular
and multicellular organisms produce inorganic materials either
Biosynthesis: Mechanism intra- or extracellularly14. The ability of microorganisms like
Biosynthesis of nanoparticles by microorganisms is a green and bacteria and fungi to control the synthesis of metallic
eco-friendly technology. Diverse microorganisms, both nanoparticles is employed in the search for new materials.

International Science Congress Association 1

Research Journal of Recent Sciences ______________________________________________________________ ISSN 2277-2502
Vol. 4(ISC-2014), 1-3 (2015) Res. J. Recent. Sci.

Because of their tolerance and metal bioaccumulation ability, Applications

fungi have occupied the center stage of studies on biological
generation of metallic nanoparticles15. Nanomedicine has tremendous prospects for the improvement
of the diagnosis and treatment of human diseases. Use of
Nanoparticles: Types microbes in biosynthesis of nanoparticles is an environmentally
acceptable procedure. Nanotechnology has potential to
Silve: Silver nanoparticles have proved to be most effective revolutionize a wide array of tools in biotechnology so that they
because of it’s good antimicrobial efficacy against bacteria, are more personalized, portable, cheaper, safer, and easier to
viruses and other eukaryotic micro-organisms16,17. They are administer.
undoubtedly the most widely used nanomaterials among all,
thereby being used as antimicrobial agents, in textile industries, Conclusion
for water treatment, sunscreen lotions etc18,19. Studies have
already reported the successful biosynthesis of silver Due to their incredible properties, nanoparticles have become
nanoparticles by plants such as Azadirachta indica20, Capsicum significant in many fields in recent years such as energy, health
annuum 21 and Carica papaya22. care, environment, agriculture etc. Nanoparticle technologies
have great potentials, being able to convert poorly soluble,
Gold: Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are used in immunochemical poorly absorbed and labile biologically active substance into
studies for identification of protein interactions. They are used promising deliverable substances.
as lab tracer in DNA fingerprinting to detect presence of DNA
in a sample. They are also used for detection of aminoglycoside References
antibiotics like streptomycin, gentamycin and neomycin. Gold
nanorods are being used to detect cancer stem cells, beneficial 1. Dubchak S., Ogar A., Mietelski J.W. and Turnau K.,
for cancer diagnosis and for identification of different classes of Influence of silver and tianium nanoparticles on arbuscular
bacteria23,24. mycorhiza colonization and acumulation of radiocaesium
in Helianthus anus, Span. J. Agric. Res., 8(1), 103-108,
Alloy: Alloy nanoparticles exhibit structural properties that are (2010).
different from their bulk samples25. Since Ag has the highest 2. Klaus T., Joerger R., Olsson E. and Granqvist C.G., Silver-
electrical conductivity among metal fillers and, unlike many Based Crystalline Nanoparticles, Microbially Fabricated,
other metals, their oxides have relatively better conductivity 26, J. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 96, 13611-13614, (1999)
Ag flakes are most widely used . Bimetallic alloy nanoparticles
3. Konishi Y. and Uruga T., Bioreductive Deposition of
properties are influenced by both metals and show more
Platinum Nanoparticles on the Bacterium Shewanella
advantages over ordinary metallic NPs27.
algae, J. Biotechnol., 128, 648-653, (2007)
Magnetic: Magnetic nanoparticles like Fe3O4 (magnetite) and 4. Willner I., Baron R. and Willner B., Growing metal
Fe2O3 (maghemite) are known to be biocompatible. They have nanoparticles by enzymes, J. Adv. Mater, 18, 1109-1120,
been actively investigated for targeted cancer treatment (2006).
(magnetic hyperthermia), stem cell sorting and manipulation, 5. Vigneshwaran N., Ashtaputre N.M., Varadarajan P.V,
guided drug delivery, gene therapy, DNA analysis, and Nachane R.P., Paralikar K.M., Balasubramanya R.H.,
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)28 Materials Letters, 61(6), 1413-1418, (2007)
Table-1 6. Shankar S.S., Ahmed A., Akkamwar B., Sastry M., Rai A.,
Synthesis of metallic nanoparticles by different Singh A. Biological synthesis of triangular gold
microorganisms nanoprism, Nature, 3 482, (2004)
Microorganism Type Location Size 7. Ahmad N., Sharma S., Singh V.N.,. Shamsi S.F, Fatma A.
Fungi and Mehta B.R., Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles from
Desmodium triflorum : a novel approach towards weed
Phoma sp. Ag Extracellular 71.06–74.46 utilization, Biotechnol. Res. Int . 454090 (1-8), (2011)
Fusarium oxysporum Au Extracellular 20–40 8. Armendariz V., Gardea-Torresdey J.L. , Jose Yacaman M.,
Gonzalez J., Herrera I. and Parsons J.G., Proceedings of
Verticillium sp. Ag Intracellular 25 ± 12
Conference on Application of Waste Remediation
Aspergillus fumigates Ag Extracellular 5–25 Technologies to Agricultural Contamination of Water
Resources, Kansas City, Mo, USA, (2002)
Trichoderma asperellum Ag Extracellular 13–18
9. Kim B.Y., Rutka J.T., Chan W.C., Nanomedicine, N. Engl.
Phaenerochaete Ag Extracellular 50–200 J. Med., 363(25), 2434-2443, (2010)
chrysosporium

International Science Congress Association 2

Research Journal of Recent Sciences ______________________________________________________________ ISSN 2277-2502
Vol. 4(ISC-2014), 1-3 (2015) Res. J. Recent. Sci.

10. Kyriacou S.V., Brownlow W.J. and Xu X.N., Using 19. Sharma V.K., Ria A.Y. and Lin Y., Advances in Colloid
nanoparticle opti chitosan assay for direct observation of and Interface Science, 145, 83-96, (2009)
the function of antimicrobial agents in single live bacterial
20. Shankar S.S., Rai A., Ankamwar B., Singh A., Ahmad A.
cells, Biochemistry, 43, 140-147, (2004)
and Sastry M., Nat. Mater, 3, 482-488, (2004)
11. Hulakoti N.I. and Taranath T.C., Biosynthesis of 21. Bar H., Bhui D.K., Sahoo G.P., Sarkar P., De S.P. and
nanoparticles using microbes: A Review. Colloids surf Bio
Misra A., Colloids and Surfaces A, Physicochem. Eng.
Interfaces, (121), 474-83, (2014)
Aspects, 339, 134-139, (2009)
12. Mann S., Biomineralization, Principles and Concepts in 22. Jha A.K., Prasad K., International Journal of Green
Bioinorganic Materials Chemistry, Oxford University Nanotechnology: Physics and Chemistry, 1, 110-117,
Press, Oxford, UK, (2001)
(2010)
13. Narayanan K.B. and Sakthivel N., Biological Synthesis of
23. Baban D. and Seymour L.W., Control of tumour vascular
metal nanoparticles by microbes, Advances in Colloid and permeability, Adv. Drug Deliv. Rev., 34, 109-119, (1998)
Interface Science, 156, 1- 13, (2010)
24. Avnika Tomar and Garima Garg, Short Review on
14. Shiv Shankara S., Akhilesh Rai, Absar Ahmad, Murali
Application of Gold Nanoparticles. Global Journal of
Sastrya, J. of Colloid and Interface Science, 275(2), (2004)
Pharmacology, 7 (1), 34-38, (2013)
15. Sastry M., Ahmad A., Khan I. and Kumar R. ,
25. Ceylan A., Jastrzembski K., Shah S. I., Metallurgical and
Biosynthesis of metal nanoparticles using fungi and
Materials Transactions A., 37, 2033, (2006)
actinomycete, Curr Sci, 85(2),162-70, (2003)
26. Junggwon Y., Kyoungah C., Byoungjun P., Ho-Chul K.,
16. Gong P., Li H., He X., Wang K., Hu J., Tan W., Tan S.
Byeong-Kwon J. and Sangsig K.J., J. of Appl. Phys. 47 :
and Zhang X.Y., Preparation and antibacterial activity of
5070 (2008)
Fe3O4@Ag nanoparticles, Nanotechnology, 18, 604–611,
(2007) 27. Mohl M., Dobo D., Kukovecz A., Konya Z., Kordas K.,
Wei J., Vajtai R. and Ajayan P.M., J. Phys. Chem. C 115,
17. Mahendra Rai, Alka Yadav, Aniket Gade, Biotech. Adv.,
9403, (2011)
27(1), 76-83, (2009)
28. Fan T.X., Chow S.K. and Zhang D., Biomorphic
18. Rai M., Yadav A. and Gade A., Biotech. Adv., 27, 76-83, mineralization: from biology to materials, Progress in
(2009) Materials Science, 54(5), 542–659, (2009)

International Science Congress Association 3

View publication stats