The microflora of the soil is adversely affected by chemical fertilizers. Excessive use of chemical fertilizers has increased crop yield dramatically at the cost of soil vigor. The pH of the soil is temporarily changed by chemical fertilizers, which kill the beneficial soil microflora and can cause absorption stress on crop plants. This leads to higher dosages during the application, causing groundwater leaching and environmental toxicity. Nanofertilizers (NFs) reduce the quantity of fertilizer needed in agriculture, enhance nutrient uptake efficiency, and decrease fertilizer loss due to runoff and leaching. Moreover, NFs can be used for soil or foliar applications and have shown promising results in a variety of plant species. The main constituents of nanomaterials are micro- and macronutrient precursors and their properties at the nanoscale. Innovative approaches to their application as a growth promoter for crops, their modes of application, and the mechanism of absorption in plant tissues are reviewed in this article. In addition, the review analyzes potential shortcomings and future considerations for the commercial agricultural application of NFs.

In the current decade, nanoparticles are synthesized using solvents that are environmentally friendly. A number of nanoparticles have been synthesized at room temperature using water as a solvent, such as gold (Au) and silver (Ag) nanoparticles. As part of nanotechnology, nanoparticles are synthesized through biological processes. Biological methods are the preferred method for the synthesis of inorganic nanoparticles (AgNPs) as a result of their simple and non-hazardous nature. Nanoparticles of silver are used in a variety of applications, including catalysts, spectrally selective coatings for solar absorption, optical objectives, pharmaceutical constituents, and chemical and biological sensing. Antimicrobial agents are among the top uses of silver nanoparticles. In the current study, silver nanoparticles were biologically manufactured through Madhuca longifolia, and their antibacterial activity against pathogenic microorganisms, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities were assessed. UV-Vis spectroscopy, XRD (X-ray diffraction), transmission electron microscopy, Zeta Potential, and FTIR were used to characterize silver nanoparticles. The current work describes a cheap and environmentally friendly method to synthesize silver nanoparticles from silver nitrate solution by using plant crude extract as a reducing agent.

Fluorescent nanoparticles have a transformative potential for advanced sensors and devices for point-of-need diagnostics and bioimaging, bypassing the technical burden of meeting the assay performance requirements. Carbon dots (CDs) are rapidly emerging carbon-based nanomaterials. Regardless of their fate, they will find increasing applications. In this study, a simple approach for synthesizing CDs from fruit peels was developed. The CDs were fabricated from Annona squamosa (L.) peels using a carbonization technique through microwave-assisted hydrothermal digestion at temperatures around 200 °C. Synthesized CDs were detected using a UV transilluminator for the preliminary confirmation of the presence of fluorescence. UV–Vis spectrophotometry (absorbance at 505 nm) analysis, zeta potential measurement (−20.8 mV), nanoparticles tracking analysis (NTA) (average size: 15.4 nm and mode size: 9.26 nm), photoluminescence, and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) analysis were used to identify the capping functional groups on the CDs. The total quantum yield exhibited was 8.93%, and the field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) showed the size range up to 40 nm. The germinating mung bean (Vigna radiata (L.)) seeds were incubated with biogenically synthesized CDs to check the absorption of CDs by them. The fluorescence was observed under a UV-transilluminator in the growing parts of seeds, indicating the absorption of CDs during the germination, development, and growth. These fluorescent CDs could be used as a bioimaging agent. This novel method of synthesizing CDs was found to be eco-friendly, rapid, and cost-effective.

Throughout history, the utilization of plant products as medicinal remedies has been widespread, with numerous modern drugs finding their origins in the plant kingdom. Taxol, derived from Taxus species, stands out as an exceptional and highly potent anticancer medication. In this study, we present a rapid one-pot synthesis method for silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the leaves of Taxus wallichiana Zucca in the presence of sunlight. The synthesized AgNPs were comprehensively characterized using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and HPLC Q-TOF. The AgNPs were further investigated for their antioxidative, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antiurolithi properties. The anticancer activity was assessed through a sulforhodamine B assay conducted on the MDA-MB-231 human breast carcinoma cell line and SiHa human cervical cancer cell line. The findings of this study reveal the impressive antioxidative, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antiurolithi characteristics exhibited by AgNPs synthesized from leaf extracts. This research highlights an environmentally friendly and cost-effective approach to producing AgNPs by utilizing plant extracts as reducing agents, underscoring the immense potential of natural resources in advancing nanotechnology and its applications.

In this study, a silica matrix was utilized as a substrate for zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) to enhance their photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye. The recovery of the prepared material was also investigated. To compare the performance of the prepared material with ZnO NPs and bare silica, various analyses were conducted. ZnO NPs were synthesized via a coprecipitation method and characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectra and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The XRD results revealed highly crystalline ZnO NPs with an average crystallite size of less than 100 nm. The presence of ZnO on the silica matrix was confirmed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and EDX analysis. The prepared ZnO NPs showed enhanced photocatalytic activity for the degradation of MB dye, and reasonable material recovery was also observed. The silica-coated ZnO NPs degraded MB dye by 97% in just 40 min and retained their photocatalytic activity for up to 20 cycles. In comparison, bare silica exhibited effective photodegradation but lost its photodegradation capacity after five cycles. ZnO NPs without silica coating took 5 h to degrade MB dye. The significant accomplishment in this study is the development of novel materials with high recoverability, simple preparation, and efficient photocatalytic activity. In the future, ZnO NPs supported on a silica matrix can be utilized for various applications.