Silver nanoparticles and their applications-A comprehensive review

The nanotechnology is a rapidly flourishing field with broad spectrum applications in almost every field.It has established that smaller size nanoparticles are more toxic compared to larger ones.Use of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) has been recognized since the last couple of years.Though many commercial methods are available for their synthesis but biogenic synthesis has proven more efficient and environmentally friendly.AgNPs have shown quite interesting, useable and promising characteristics in various fields of human life.The biomedical applications of AgNPs have gained a huge interest of scientific community, and have significantly improved personalized healthcare practice (various types of surgeries, antibiotics, drug delivery formulations).It has been said that AgNPs have novel antimicrobial applications as anti-bacterial, anti-biofilm, anti-fungal and anti-viral agents.Strong antibacterial activity of AgNPs makes these ideal in fighting against multi drug resistant bacteria (MDR).Similarly, AgNPs also have proven their potential in agriculture field, environment and industrial sector.This review aims to provide an insight on biogenic synthesis and characterization of AgNPs alongwith applications in everyday life from economical, commercial and industrial perspective.Due to easy synthesis and wider availability of AgNPs, they are being considered as important constituent in the preparation of different commercially and bio-medically useful products alongwith enormous use in food packaging system for longer shelf life and prevention of spilage.