Abstract

Green synthesis of nanoparticles has many potential applications in environmental and biomedical fields. Green synthesis aims in particular at decreasing the usage of toxic chemicals. For instance, the use of biological materials such as plants is usually safe. Plants also contain reducing and capping agents. Here we present the principles of green chemistry, and we review plant-mediated synthesis of nanoparticles and their recent applications. Nanoparticles include gold, silver, copper, palladium, platinum, zinc oxide, and titanium dioxide.