Eco-friendly Synthesis of Copper Nanoparticles: An Overview of the Epoch-making Role of Natural Resources, Applications, and Recent Developments

Abstract: Green synthesized metal nanoparticles offer a broad spectrum of applications. They also offer unmatched significance because they are eco-friendly, cost-effective, and less toxic to human beings. Copper nanoparticles, when synthesized using green protocols, exhibit enriched properties and are substantially used in the preparation of nanofluids, medicine, conductive agents, etc. In this review, we have highlighted how the side effects of synthetic compounds have paved the way to look for greener alternatives in the field of nanomedicine. Green fabrication, characterization, and activities of copper nanoparticles using different biological sources have been extensively studied and reported. The biological sources have been broadly classified into two categories, plant-based and microbial-based. Natural resources are a reservoir of flavonoids, polyphenols, saponins, etc. They act as reducing and stabilizing agents for nanoparticles. Bio-synthesized metal nanoparticles have presented themselves as anti-microbial agents, bioreductors, cytotoxic agents, bioremediators, etc. This review has described the effective utilization of natural resources for synthesizing copper nanoparticles. It also emphasizes the recent developments in this field covering the diverse applications of the same.