Overview of Production Methods of Selected Metal Nanoparticles

Nanoscience and nanotechnology have witnessed significant advancements in recent years and have been prominent contributors to scientific progress. Metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) occupy a crucial position in various scientific disciplines, such as medicine, physics, mechanics, pharmaceutics, agriculture, etc. In recent years, scientists have unveiled remarkable potential in both the synthesis and applications of MNPs, employing various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques for characterization. This chapter presents several methods for synthesizing MNPs, encompassing physical, chemical, and biological approaches. In bottom-up synthesis processes, nanostructures are formed by manipulating atoms and molecules via self-assembly processes. This method can also be achieved through the application of biological techniques. On the other hand, top-down synthesis methods, which involve reducing or shaping larger materials, are actively pursued for replacement or improvement due to the inherent imperfections in the resulting material structure. This limitation is significant because nanoparticles’ surface chemistry and physical properties depend heavily on the material structure. Additionally, nanoparticles synthesized through top-down methods often harbor notable impurities and display a relatively broad distribution of dimensions and varying shapes. The preference for bottom-up approaches has been well-established, leading to numerous nanoparticle synthesis techniques based on the self-assembly principle. This chapter not only focuses on metallic elements but also explores the study of several metallic or nonmetallic oxide materials within this field.