Abstract
Abstract : Metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) have innumerable applications in various fields of science and technology. Green chemistry based NP synthesis offers several advantages over conventional approaches. The biological approach is inexpensive, facile, rapid, and environmentally benign method for NPs synthesis. Characterization of NPs is generally based on their dimension, surface area, and dispersity. The most common techniques used for this purpose are UV-Vis, SEM, TEM, FTIR, XRD, DLS, AFM, Raman spectroscopy, etc. These techniques are considered highly useful as they provide important information about these materials for diverse biological and environmental applications. Until now, numerous plant materials have been utilized to generate numerous MNPs, such as silver, gold, copper, titanium, platinum, palladium, zinc, and iron NPs. Among these MNPs, the noble ones have attracted significant researchers' attention because they are non-corrosive and resistant to oxidation in moist air. They have been useful in providing remedies with less or no adverse effects for several acute diseases like malaria, hepatitis, cancer, and many others. They have a wide range of applications, such as diagnostics and therapeutics, antimicrobial agents, anti-inflammatory agents, cancer treatment, sensors, etc. Several techniques have been used to characterize size, crystal structure, elemental composition and a variety of other physical properties of nanoparticles. In many cases, there are physical properties that can be evaluated by more than one technique. Different strengths and limitations of each technique complicate the choice of most suitable method. Often, a combined characterization approach is needed. It is needed that researchers from different fields overcome these challenges by reliable characterization of nanomaterials. We present here a systematic review, focusing on phytofabricated MNPs and their characterization techniques.
Key words: Metallic nanoparticles, characterization techniques, phytofabrication, nanomaterials.