Biological and Non-biological Methods for Silver Nanoparticles Synthesis

The synthesis of metallic nanoparticles is an active area of academic and, more significantly, applied research in nanotechnology. Several methods (chemical, physical or biological) have been introduced for the synthesis of these materials. In chemical reduction methods, for example, the reducing agent is a chemical solution, whereas in biological ones, the collection of enzymes especially nitrate reductase plays this role. This study is an attempt to present an overview of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) preparation by various methods including biological and non-biological. Focusing on the advantages and disadvantages of each method, the paper aims to discuss some fundamental issues about biological and non-biological methods for silver nanoparticles synthesis.