Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles: A Review

The bio-molecules from various plant components and microbial species have been used as potential agents for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). In spite of a wide range of bio-molecules assisting in the process, synthesizing stable and widely applicable AgNPs by many researchers still poses a considerable challenge to the researchers. The biological agents for synthesizing AgNPs cover compounds produced naturally in microbes and plants. More than 100 different biological sources for synthesizing AgNPs are reported in the past decade by various authors. Reaction parameters under which the AgNPs were being synthesized hold prominent impact on their size, shape and application. Available published information on AgNPs synthesis, effects of various parameters, characterization techniques, properties and their application are summarised and critically discussed in this review.