Green Synthesis of Metallic and Metal Oxide Nanoparticles and Their Antibacterial Activities

Abstract

In recent years, the development of metallic and metal oxide nanoparticles in an eco-friendly manner using plant materials has attracted considerable attention. The biogenic reduction of metal ions to the base metal is quite rapid, can be conducted readily at room temperature under sunlight conditions, can be scaled up easily, and the method is eco-friendly. The reducing agents involved include various water-soluble metabolites (e.g., alkaloids, terpenoids, polyphenolic compounds) and coenzymes. Noble metals (silver and gold) have been the main focus of plant-based synthesis. These green synthesized nanoparticles have a range of shapes and sizes compared to those produced by other organisms. The advantages of using plant-derived materials for nanoparticle synthesis have attracted the interest of researchers to investigate the mechanisms of metal ions uptake and bio-reduction by plants. These biosynthesized metallic and metal oxide nanoparticles have a wide range of biological applications. This chapter, however, discusses only the antibacterial activities.