Eco-friendly synthesis of silica nanoparticles and their applications

Abstract

Since their discovery, silica nanoparticles have become valuable materials with wide-ranging applications in biomedicine, catalysis, and environmental remediation. Their properties, including high surface area, variable pore size, surface reactivity, stability, and low toxicity, make them attractive for several fields. Methods such as laser ablation and sol-gel synthesis, which encompass both physical and chemical processes, can be employed for their synthesis. However, these conventional approaches have drawbacks, including the use of dangerous chemical and costly procedures, which can lead to biological and environmental concerns. Growing demand has been observed in recent years for eco-friendly synthesis of silica nanoparticles which is economically-viable, safe, reliable, scalable, and enables control over particle size distribution. Green synthesis methods have gained importance owing to their ability to minimize the adverse effects associated with conventional approaches. The key advantage of these sustainable strategies is the absence of harmful byproducts throughout the synthesis. Utilizing biological, renewable, and sustainable resources, green strategies offer simple and cost-effective routes for producing silica nanoparticles, removing or decreasing the need for complex and time-consuming procedures. This chapter discusses various green synthesis approaches for obtaining silica nanoparticles and explores their applications. The utilization of green methods promotes the sustainable production of silica nanoparticles and advances the field of green nanotechnology.