FEATURED Book Chapter Detail

Multifaceted Access to Nanoparticles: Fabrication, Characterization, and Plant-based Applications

Haseeba Shahzad^1 ⃰, Zareena Ali², Raafia Karamat¹, Fatima Akram¹, Saba Saeed³, Muhammad Qamar Farid⁴, Khunsa Tariq⁵, Ayesha Liaqat⁶, Shah Hussain⁷, Zulqurnain Khan⁸, Busra Gunay⁹, Sana Gulzar¹⁰, Hammad Ali¹¹, Ayesha Saddiqa¹², Faiza Farooq¹³

¹School of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of the Punjab, Quaid-i-Azam Campus, Lahore, Pakistan

 ²Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, The Women University Multan, Pakistan

³Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, The University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan

⁴Qingdao Institute of BioEnergy & BioProcess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, People’s Republic of China

⁵Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany

⁶School of Biological Sciences, University of the Punjab, Quaid-i-Azam Campus, Lahore, Pakistan

⁷School of Pharmacy & Medical Sciences, Griffith University, Australia

⁸Institute of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology (IPBB), MNS University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan

⁹Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Ege University, Bornova, Izmir, Turkiye

¹⁰Center of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB), University of Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan

¹¹Department of Food Science & Technology, Faculty of Food & Nutrition, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan

¹²Institute of Agricultural Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan

¹³College of Pharmacy, University of Manitoba, Canada

*For Correspondence

haseeba.res.sbb@pu.edu.pk

drhaxiba01@yahoo.com

The rapidly growing nanotechnology lending sector offers advanced solutions across multiple sectors, with significant implications for environmental and agricultural sustainability. This chapter presents a meticulous and comprehensive examination of the conceptualization, manufacturing, and practical application of nanoparticles, emphasizing their multifaceted functionality and exceptional potential. It commences with systematic categorization of nanoparticles, including metallic, metal oxide, bimetallic, doped and conjugated variants, emphasizing their distinguishing physicochemical properties that dictate their panoramic applications. The fabrication strategies are comprehensively discussed with critical evaluation of chemical method, green method, and coprecipitation method, each analyzed for its operational efficiency, scalability, and ecological impact. Besides this, the comparative evaluation of important characterization techniques like UV–Visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is illustrated, illuminating their underlying principles, analytical concerns and interpretive potential in anticipating nanoparticle structure, morphology and elemental composition. The chapter further delves into plant-based applications exhibiting nanomaterials as potent biostimulants, intelligent vectors for agrochemical delivery, antimicrobial agents and nanofungicides. Noteworthy emphasis is placed on the contribution of nanoparticles in fortifying crop resilience, optimizing nutrient delivery approaches and advancing disease control strategies. The chapter concludes with a forward-looking perspective, endorsing sustainable nano-enabled agriculture, the evolution of advanced techniques and strategic incorporation of smart nanomaterials in precision farming paradigms. This work aims to serve as a foundational reference for researchers, agronomists and materials scientists operating at the nexus of nanoscience and plant biotechnology.

Keywords

Nanoparticles, Synthesis, Characterization, Plant-based Applications