Application of Biosurfactants in the Green Synthesis of Inorganic Nanoparticles

Inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) have been increasingly utilized across various fields due to their unique properties and versatile applications. They offer small size, enhanced tunability, permeability, surface functionalization and are more stable in comparison to organic materials. They have gained widespread attention for their application in therapeutic and diagnostic systems for drug delivery, imaging, sensing and biomedical implants. There are several chemical methods for synthesizing inorganic nanoparticles. These methods involve the use of chemical surfactants like Sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), Sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) and Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as reducing, stabilizing and capping agents. However, these chemicals are hazardous and produce toxic byproducts posing risks to health and the environment. Green nanoparticle synthesis involves adopting sustainable and eco-friendly techniques to produce nanoparticles, aiming to decrease the environmental footprint of the process. Biosurfactants are amphiphilic compounds produced by microorganisms, plants, or animals. They are derived from renewable resources and are biodegradable. This makes the synthesis process more environmentally friendly and reduces the potential harmful impact on ecosystems. Biosurfactants can act as environmentally benign precursors, reducing agents and help in stabilizing the nanoparticles. In this paper, we have reviewed the recent studies in the green synthesis of inorganic nanoparticles using bio-surfactants. Further, parameters which affect the formation of NPs while using biosurfactants have been discussed. In addition, emergence of machine learning and other computational tools for nanoparticle formation have been explored. The challenges and the future prospectives in this direction have also been highlighted.