Green Synthesis of Nanoparticles for Catalytic Applications

Green synthesis employs biological agents—such as plant extracts, microorganisms or biopolymers—to reduce metal precursors and stabilise the resulting nanoparticles, thereby avoiding hazardous reagents and minimising waste. The approach yields noble metal, metal‐oxide and bimetallic nanoparticles whose size, shape and surface chemistry can be precisely tailored by controlling extract composition and reaction conditions. These materials serve as highly active and selective catalysts for pollutant degradation, fine chemical synthesis and energy‐related transformations, often exhibiting excellent recyclability when immobilised on supports such as clays, zeolites or magnetic matrices. Mild synthesis conditions align with green chemistry principles while the incorporation of phytochemicals as capping agents offers additional functional motifs. Advances in characterisation have deepened understanding of structure–activity relationships, guiding the rational design of sustainable nanocatalysts. The global impact spans environmental remediation, sustainable chemical processes and the development of next‐generation catalytic technologies.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have demonstrated the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Thyme leaf extract, followed by immobilisation on a zeolite support to form a recoverable hybrid catalyst. This system achieves over 93% degradation of various organic dye pollutants within ten minutes under ambient conditions. Characterisation by XRD, SEM and TEM reveals uniform dispersion of nanosilver within zeolite pores and retention of structural integrity over multiple recovery cycles. Optimisation of metal precursor concentration and reducing‐agent dosage has enabled fine control over particle morphology and catalytic turnover frequency, underscoring the efficacy of biologically inspired routes to highly efficient, reusable catalysts under mild and ecofriendly conditions.

Green Synthesis of Nanoparticles for Catalytic Applications publication trend

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

Technical terms

Green synthesis: A method for nanoparticle production using biological materials as reducing and stabilising agents to reduce environmental and health hazards.

Nanoparticle: A particulate entity with dimensions between 1 nm and 100 nm, exhibiting unique size-dependent properties.

Catalysis: The acceleration of a chemical reaction by a catalyst, which remains unchanged after the process.

Heterogeneous catalyst: A catalyst in a different phase from the reactants, typically a solid in contact with liquid or gas substrates, allowing easy separation.

Immobilisation: The anchoring of nanoparticles onto a solid support to enhance stability, recovery and reusability.

Phytochemicals: Bioactive plant-derived compounds, such as polyphenols and flavonoids, used to reduce metal ions and stabilise nanoparticles during green synthesis.

References

1. In situ and bio-green synthesis of silver nanoparticles immobilized on zeolite as a recyclable catalyst for the degradation of OPDs. Scientific Reports (2024).
2. Eco-Friendly CuO/Fe3O4 Nanocomposite synthesis, characterization, and cytotoxicity study. Heliyon (2024).
3. Green synthesis of a Cu/MgO nanocomposite by Cassytha filiformis  L. extract and investigation of its catalytic activity in the reduction of methylene blue, congo red and nitro compounds in aqueous media. RSC Advances (2018).
4. Phyto-Nanocatalysts: Green Synthesis, Characterization, and Applications. Molecules (2019).