Biogenic Nanoparticles and Catalytic Applications

Biogenic nanoparticles are nanoscale materials synthesised through the action of living organisms, including bacteria, fungi, plants and algae. These particles often display unique catalytic properties owing to their narrow size distributions, high surface-to-volume ratios and the presence of biological surface ligands. In recent years, biogenic routes have emerged as sustainable alternatives to conventional chemical and physical methods, offering lower energy requirements, reduced use of toxic reagents and the capacity to recover valuable metals from waste streams. A growing body of work has demonstrated that metal-reducing microbes can generate mono- and bimetallic nanoparticles, such as palladium–iron or palladium–ruthenium alloys, with enhanced reactivity in hydrogenation, cross-coupling and redox reactions. The intrinsic capping agents derived from microbial cell walls or extracellular polymers help to stabilise these particles and can modulate selectivity. Biogenic catalysts have been deployed in pollutant remediation, fine-chemical synthesis and biofuel upgrading, highlighting their global significance in green chemistry and circular-economy strategies.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Bacillus benzeovorans has been shown to mediate the formation of core–shell palladium–ruthenium nanoparticles with two distinct size populations. High-resolution microscopy and spectroscopic analysis revealed metallic palladium shells enveloping ruthenium oxide cores, while surface characterisation confirmed mixed valence states of each metal. In catalytic tests targeting the conversion of biomass-derived 5-hydroxymethylfurfural into 2,5-dimethylfuran, these bio-derived catalysts achieved over 95% substrate conversion and selectivities approaching two-thirds, significantly outperforming monometallic analogues. This work underscores the potential of biofabricated bimetallic architectures to deliver high activity and robust selectivity in the production of sustainable fuel precursors.

Biogenic Nanoparticles and Catalytic Applications publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in biogenic nanoparticles and catalytic applications across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Biogenic nanoparticles: Nanometre-scale particles synthesised or templated by biological entities, often capped by biomolecules that confer stability and functional specificity.

Bimetallic nanoparticles: Nanoparticles composed of two distinct metallic elements, which can form alloys, core–shell structures or segregated phases to achieve synergistic catalytic properties.

Catalytic activity: The ability of a material to increase the rate of a chemical reaction without being consumed, typically measured by turnover frequency or substrate conversion under defined conditions.

Core–shell structure: A nanoparticle architecture in which one material forms an inner core and a second material encapsulates it as a shell, enabling precise control over surface composition and reactivity.

References

1. Characterization of Bimetallic Pd–Fe Nanoparticles Synthesized in Escherichia coli. ACS Applied Bio Materials (2024).
2. Insights into the bacterial synthesis of metal nanoparticles. Frontiers in Nanotechnology (2023).
3. Bio-inspired synthesis of metal nanomaterials and applications. Chemical Society Reviews (2015).
4. Novel catalytically active Pd/Ru bimetallic nanoparticles synthesized by Bacillus benzeovorans. Scientific Reports (2019).