Microbe‐Assisted Synthesis of Nanomaterials: Insights and Applications

Nanomaterials are extensively used across various fields such as electronics, medicine, healthcare, energy, agriculture, food, and environmental remediation and sensing, due to their extraordinary physico–chemical properties. Basically, nanomaterials can be synthesized through top–down and bottom–up approaches using different physical, chemical and biologial methods. Recently, the biological synthesis of nanomaterials using microorganisms has emerged as a simple, cost‐effective, and sustainable alternative. Various microbes—including bacteria, viruses, yeast, fungi, and microalgae—have been employed to produce metallic, non‐metallic, metal oxide, and carbon‐based nanoparticles. These biologically synthesized nanoparticles exhibit a large surface area, high catalytic activity, and enhanced stability due to microbial capping agents. The interaction between nanomaterials and microbes depends on the nanomaterial's type and structure as well as the biological characteristics of the microorganism. Additionally, microbial enzymes, acting as biocatalysts, enable the controlled synthesis of nanomaterials even at low concentrations. Microbe‐assisted synthesis is eco‐friendly, convenient, and often more economical than conventional chemical methods. These microbial synthesized nanoparticles show promising applications in controlling pathogenic microbes, antitumor and anti‐inflammatory therapies, antioxidant functions, bioremediation, dye degradation, and drug delivery systems, indicating significant future potential.