Metallic Nanoparticles, Toxicity Issues and Applications in Medicine

Abstract

The metallic nanoparticles (NPs) and their synthetic biology are an active area fascinating both the academics as well as scientific research applications in the field of nanotechnology. These nanostructures are a versatile class of materials such as metal NPs, metal oxide NPs, magnetic NPs and quantum dots for biomedical sciences and engineering due to their huge potential. A handful number of methods are adopted for the synthesis of one or the other kind of metal NPs which includes physical and chemical approaches. Each of the chemical and physical synthesis procedures deals with some limitations such as cost ineffectiveness, use of hazardous chemicals, formation of toxic end products and involvement of high-energy processes. To overcome these drawbacks, an alternative approach of environmentally benign and inexpensive biological synthesis mediated by plants or microbes has been essentially adopted. The variations in size, shape and surface chemistry of NPs affect the properties of metal NPs to a greater extent which in turn have an influence on their biological behaviour. Few metal NPs offer unique optical properties while others possess paramagnetic behaviour and quantum size effect which make them suitable in bio-imaging diagnostic techniques. Some metallic NPs play a role in tissue engineering and other therapeutic applications due to their ease of surface modifications, large surface area to volume ratio, unique electrical and anti-microbial activities. Instead of multi-disciplinary applications of metallic NPs, there is a great concern regarding the toxicity issues associated with the use of these NPs which need to be sorted out by looking out certain ways for favourable architecture involving the synthesis methods and parameters for designing the non-toxic NPs for improving the quality of life.