ABSTRACT
The synthesis of metallic, oxide, sulfide, and other nanoparticles using microorganisms is an eco-friendly and green technology. This review focuses on the synthesis of different types of nanoparticles using microorganisms belonging to prokaryotes and eukaryotes along with their applications in different fields such as medical, healthcare, chemical, agricultural, food processing, and so on. The synthesis of nanoparticles may be intracellular or extracellular. Different characterization methods were reported for the determination of the morphology, functionalization, and application mechanisms of microbe-mediated nanoparticles. The morphology and size of the nanoparticles depend on synthesis parameters, including pH, temperature, incubation time, and type of microorganisms. Generally, the size-, shape-, and morphology-controlled synthesis and functionalization of nanoparticles are carried out by physical, chemical, and many hybrid methods, the synthesized nanoparticles having limited application in the clinical and healthcare fields due to their toxicity. On the other hand, microorganism-mediated nanoparticles are eco-friendly, non-toxic, and applicable in different fields. Future challenges include the high-yield and optimal production of different nanoparticles and their functionalization, a reduction in the time necessary to obtain nanoparticles with the required shapes, sizes, and stability, and finally the optimization of unique microbes for the desired applications.
