Synthesis of Metallic Nanoparticles Using Plant's Natural Extracts: Synthesis Mechanisms and Applications

Metallic nanoparticles have a wide range of applications in health, electronics, optics, magnetism, bioremediation, chemistry, and materials science. Several methods used to produce nanoparticles are not friendly to the environment, so this review highlights the benefits of using plant extracts to prepare metallic nanoparticles to investigate an eco-friendly method. Plant extracts contain secondary metabolites, including flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, phenolic compounds, polysaccharides, amino acids, and proteins. The compounds present in the extracts can reduce metal ions from salts and allow the formation of nanoparticles. The fundamentals of the in-situ nanoparticle synthesis were reviewed, a list of various plants used was made, the mechanisms proposed for nanoparticle synthesis, and finally, applications in several areas were addressed.