A State-Of-Art Review on One-Step Microwave Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles and their Biological Applications

Silver-based nanoparticles (AgNps) have recently gained traction for versatile applications in biotechnology. However, selecting the suitable synthesis method remains a challenge, as current techniques often suffer from slow reaction rates, high costs, low efficacy, and limited reproducibility. Therefore, it is deemed necessary to choose a method that will offer furtherance of the current technologies to address these drawbacks. One promising approach is microwave (MW) irradiation, which is a one-step, simple, cost-effective, reproducible, and sustainable than conventional methods. MW irradiation enables the rapid formation of highly stable nanoparticles as small as ~2 nm, achieving energy savings of up to 70%. Additionally, using biological agents as reducing agents in MW-assisted synthesis promotes an eco-friendly, low-cost, and straightforward approach. This critical review presents the mechanism behind various biological applications and their efficiencies, anticipating research toward synthesizing high-quality nanoparticles. It encourages adapting the use of MW technology for the facile synthesis of high-quality metal and metal oxide nanoparticles, providing a new way for sustainable applications.