Microbial synthesis of gold nanoparticles: Current status and future prospects

• Microbially synthesized gold nanoparticles
• Methods of synthesis and properties of gold nanoparticles, gold nanoalloys and gold nanoconjugates
• Mechanism of synthesis of gold nanoparticles by microorganisms
• Applications of microbially synthesized gold nanoparticles
• Patents of microbially synthesized gold nanoparticles

Gold nanoparticles have been employed in biomedicine since the last decade because of their unique optical, electrical and photothermal properties. Present review discusses the microbial synthesis, properties and biomedical applications of gold nanoparticles. Different microbial synthesis strategies used so far for obtaining better yield and stability have been described. It also includes different methods used for the characterization and analysis of gold nanoparticles, viz. UV–visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X ray diffraction spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, ransmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, electron dispersive X ray, X ray photoelectron spectroscopy and cyclic voltametry. The different mechanisms involved in microbial synthesis of gold nanoparticles have been discussed. The information related to applications of microbially synthesized gold nanoparticles and patents on microbial synthesis of gold nanoparticles has been summarized.

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