Phyto-Nano-antimicrobials: Synthesis, characterization, discovery, and advances

Nanotechnology has brought a revolution to the world of science and medicine. With time, the dependency on nanotechnological advancement is increasing. Synthesis of nano-scale modulators is a significant domain of focus that employs crude formulations, retro-synthesized, and pure chemicals, mostly from herbal sources with lesser side effects. However, all these methods suffer from drawbacks and limitations. For an eco-friendly nanoparticle synthesis, green chemistry has evolved with a tangential approach for the synthesis of metals (Au, Ag) and metal oxides (ZnO, CuO, TiO). Green synthesis uses plant extracts (leaves, stem, shoot) and microbes (bacteria, fungi, yeast) as reducing intermediate for the production of nanoparticles. The advantage of these extracts lies within the phenolic constitutes of aldehydes, ketones, proteins, and other biomolecules that implicate the reduction of the nanoparticles. These green synthesized nanoparticles have high efficacy ranging from anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and wide applications in medicine. In this chapter, we discuss the methods of green synthesis, their applications, and prospects. The current chapter will pave the way for future applications and better means for the synthesis of nanoparticles leading into a newer direction with varied recognition in nano-life sciences.