Biogenic Synthesis of Zinc Nanoparticles, Their Applications, and Toxicity Prospects

Nanofertilizers effectively deliver the micronutrients besides reducing the phytotoxicity and environmental damage associated with chemical fertilizers. Zinc, an essential micronutrient, is significant for chloroplast development, activation of certain enzymes, and primary metabolism. Nano zinc oxide (ZnO) is the most widely used zinc nanoparticle. Concerns regarding the toxicity of conventional physical and chemical methods of synthesizing the nanoparticles have generated the need for a green approach. It involves the biogenic synthesis of metallic nanoparticles using plants and microorganisms. Microbe-mediated biogenic synthesis of metallic nanoparticles is a bottom-up approach in which the functional biomolecules of microbial supernatant reduce the metal ions into its nanoparticles. This review discusses the biological synthesis of nano-ZnO from microorganisms and related aspects such as the mechanism of synthesis, factors affecting the same, methods of application, along with their role in conferring drought stress tolerance to the plants and challenges involved in their large-scale synthesis and applications.