Towards a greener environment: Synthesis and applications of green nanoparticles

Nanoparticles have been widely used in various fields ranging from biomedical applications to environmental remediation. However, the synthesis of nanoparticles using conventional physical and chemical methods is toxic, hazardous and expensive. Consequently, development of green nanotechnological methods for synthesis of nanoparticles using biotechnological tools has gathered a great deal of interest. Numerous efforts to develop ecofriendly nanotechnologies to produce environmentally suitable and non-toxic nanoparticles have been successful; however, detailed information regarding the recent development of green nanotechnology is not widely available. Therefore, this review was conducted to highlight nanoparticles synthesized by green technology while summarizing the methods used for synthesis of nanoparticles, possible mechanisms for their action, and their potential application in various fields such as biomedical and agriculture to provide a better concept of nano-biosynthesis using green technology.