Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Technology (LabMET), Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Gent, Belgium.
Biotechnol Bioeng. 2012 Oct;109(10):2422-36. doi: 10.1002/bit.24570. Epub 2012 Jun 27.
Silver nanoparticles are one of the most commercialized nanomaterials. They are widely applied as biocides for their strong antimicrobial activity, but also their conductive, optic and catalytic properties make them wanted in many applications. The chemical and physical processes which are used to synthesize silver nanoparticles generally have many disadvantages and are not eco-friendly. In this review, we will discuss biological alternatives that have been developed using microorganisms or plants to produce biogenic silver. Until now, only their antimicrobial activity has been studied more into detail. In contrast, a wide range of practical applications as biocide, biosensor, and catalyst are still unexplored. The shape, size, and functionalization of the nanoparticles is defined by the biological system used to produce the nanoparticles, hence for every application a specific biological production process needs to be chosen. On the other hand, biogenic silver needs to compete with chemically produced nanosilver on the market. Large scale production generating inexpensive nanoparticles is needed. This can only be achieved when the biological production system is chosen in function of the yield. Hence, the true challenge for biogenic silver is finding the balance between scalability, price, and applicability.
银纳米粒子是商业化程度最高的纳米材料之一。由于其具有很强的抗菌活性，因此被广泛用作杀菌剂，但由于其具有导电性、光学性和催化性能，因此在许多应用中也受到青睐。用于合成银纳米粒子的化学和物理过程通常存在许多缺点，并且不环保。在这篇综述中，我们将讨论使用微生物或植物开发的生物替代物来生产生物成因的银。到目前为止，仅对其抗菌活性进行了更详细的研究。相比之下，作为杀菌剂、生物传感器和催化剂的广泛应用仍未得到探索。纳米粒子的形状、大小和功能化由用于生产纳米粒子的生物系统定义，因此对于每种应用，都需要选择特定的生物生产工艺。另一方面，生物成因的银需要与市场上化学合成的纳米银竞争。需要大规模生产廉价的纳米粒子。只有当根据产量选择生物生产系统时，才能实现这一目标。因此，生物成因银的真正挑战在于在可扩展性、价格和适用性之间找到平衡。
