Biosynthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles using Bacillus licheniformis

Owing to the wide-ranging applications of noble metal nanoparticles in diverse areas of science and technology, different methods have been proposed for their synthesis. Here, we describe the methods for the intracellular biosynthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles using the bacterium Bacillus licheniformis KK2 and this same procedure can be followed for other bacteria as well. The biological synthesis of nanoparticles is highly eco-friendly and possesses distinct advantages such as enhanced stability, better control over the size, shape, and monodispersity of the nanoparticles, when compared with the more traditional physical and chemical methods which often involves the use of hazardous chemicals creating environmental concern.