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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 13, 2025

Gold Nanoparticle Synthesis
13:42

Gold Nanoparticle Synthesis

Published on: July 10, 2021

14.8K

Is 'Green' Gold and Silver Nanoparticle Synthesis Environmentally Friendly?

Lucas Reijnders1

  • 1IBED (Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics), Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1090 GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 25, 2025
PubMed
Summary

The term "green" synthesis for gold and silver nanoparticles is often misleading. Life cycle assessments indicate that "green" methods are not necessarily eco-friendly compared to chemical synthesis.

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Correction: Ahmed et al. Comparative Carcinogenicity of Double-Walled Carbon Nanotubes of Different Lengths Administered by Intratracheal Installation into Rat Lungs. <i>Nanomaterials</i> 2025, <i>15</i>, 1402.

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Area of Science:

  • Nanotechnology
  • Materials Science
  • Environmental Science

Background:

  • 'Green' synthesis is commonly used for gold and silver nanoparticles.
  • 'Green' synthesis is often claimed to be eco-friendly compared to chemical methods.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critically evaluate the environmental claims of 'green' nanoparticle synthesis.
  • To determine if 'green' synthesis is truly eco-friendly.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on nanoparticle synthesis.
  • Analysis of comparative life cycle assessments (LCAs) for 'green' versus chemical synthesis of gold and silver nanoparticles.

Main Results:

  • Comparative LCAs suggest 'green' synthesis of gold and silver nanoparticles is not inherently eco-friendly.
Keywords:
ecofriendlyenvironment(ally) friendlygold nanoparticlessilver nanoparticles‘green’ synthesis

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  • The term 'green' for these nanoparticle synthesis methods is a misnomer.

    • Conclusions:

    • 'Green' synthesis of gold and silver nanoparticles should not be automatically equated with being environmentally friendly.
    • The terms 'eco-friendly' or 'environmentally friendly' require robust, comparative cradle-to-nanoparticle life cycle assessments for validation.