A Review of Phenolic-Mediated Gold Nanoparticle Synthesis Using Hardwickia binata Roxb
Keywords:
Green synthesis; Gold nanoparticles; Hardwickia binata; Phenolic compounds; Bark extract; Surface plasmon resonance; BioreductionAbstract
The green synthesis of metallic nanoparticles has emerged as a sustainable alternative to conventional physical and chemical routes, owing to its eco-friendly nature, cost-effectiveness, and biocompatibility. Among noble metal nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) occupy a privileged position because of their distinctive surface plasmon resonance, chemical stability, low cytotoxicity, and versatile applicability in catalysis, biosensing, drug delivery, and antimicrobial therapy. This review critically examines the phenolic-mediated green synthesis of gold nanoparticles using the bark extract of Hardwickia binata Roxb., a leguminous hardwood tree native to the Indian subcontinent whose bark is exceptionally rich in polyphenols, flavonoids, tannins, and terpenoids. These phytochemicals function simultaneously as reducing agents that convert tetrachloroauric acid to elemental gold and as capping agents that stabilize the resulting colloidal dispersion. The review synthesizes current understanding of the phenolic reduction mechanism, the influence of reaction parameters such as pH, temperature, precursor concentration, and extract dosage on nanoparticle morphology, and the characterization techniques used to confirm nanoparticle formation. Particular attention is devoted to the role of hydroxyl-bearing aromatic compounds in electron transfer and to the correlation between phytochemical composition and particle size, shape, and stability. The biomedical and catalytic applications of the resulting nanoparticles, including their antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticancer potential, are also discussed. By consolidating the dispersed literature on phenolic-mediated gold nanoparticle biosynthesis and contextualizing the unique potential of Hardwickia binata bark, this review identifies the principal knowledge gaps and outlines directions for future research aimed at scalable, reproducible, and application-driven nanoparticle production.
References
Ahmed, S., Ahmad, M., Swami, B. L., & Ikram, S. (2016). A review on plants extract mediated synthesis of silver nanoparticles for antimicrobial applications: A green expertise. Journal of Advanced Research, 7(1), 17–28.
Dauthal, P., & Mukhopadhyay, M. (2016). Noble metal nanoparticles: Plant-mediated synthesis, mechanistic aspects of synthesis, and applications. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 55(36), 9557–9577.
Hussain, I., Singh, N. B., Singh, A., Singh, H., & Singh, S. C. (2016). Green synthesis of nanoparticles and its potential application. Biotechnology Letters, 38(4), 545–560.
Iravani, S. (2015). Bacteria in nanoparticle synthesis: Current status and future prospects. International Scholarly Research Notices, 2014, 359316.
Khan, A. U., Wei, Y., Khan, Z. U. H., & Tahir, K. (2019). Photocatalytic and antibacterial response of biosynthesized gold nanoparticles. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology, 196, 111511.
Kumar, B., Smita, K., Cumbal, L., & Debut, A. (2017). Green synthesis of gold nanoparticles using plant extracts and their applications. Journal of Cleaner Production, 143, 1–14.
Mittal, A. K., Chisti, Y., & Banerjee, U. C. (2017). Synthesis of metallic nanoparticles using plant extracts. Biotechnology Advances, 31(2), 346–356.
Mukherjee, S., Sushma, V., Patra, S., & Patra, C. R. (2017). Green chemistry approach for the synthesis and stabilization of biocompatible gold nanoparticles. Nanotechnology, 28(10), 105101.
Nadagouda, M. N., Iyanna, N., Lalley, J., Han, C., & Dionysiou, D. D. (2017). Synthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles using antioxidants from blackberry extract. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 5(1), 49–57.
Patra, J. K., & Baek, K. H. (2017). Green biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles using leaf extract and their application. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology, 173, 291–300.
Rajan, A., Vilas, V., & Philip, D. (2015). Studies on catalytic, antioxidant, antibacterial and anticancer activities of biogenic gold nanoparticles. Journal of Molecular Liquids, 212, 331–339.
Ramesh, A. V., Devi, D. R., Battu, G. R., & Basavaiah, K. (2020). A facile plant mediated synthesis of gold nanoparticles using bark extract and their biological applications. Journal of Saudi Chemical Society, 24(8), 614–624.
Shah, M., Fawcett, D., Sharma, S., Tripathy, S. K., & Poinern, G. E. J. (2015). Green synthesis of metallic nanoparticles via biological entities. Materials, 8(11), 7278–7308.
Sharma, V. K., Yngard, R. A., & Lin, Y. (2015). Silver nanoparticles: Green synthesis and their antimicrobial activities. Advances in Colloid and Interface Science, 145(1–2), 83–96.
Singh, P., Kim, Y. J., Zhang, D., & Yang, D. C. (2018). Biological synthesis of nanoparticles from plants and microorganisms. Trends in Biotechnology, 34(7), 588–599.
Siddiqi, K. S., & Husen, A. (2017). Recent advances in plant-mediated engineered gold nanoparticles and their application. Nanoscale Research Letters, 12(1), 28.
Thakkar, K. N., Mhatre, S. S., & Parikh, R. Y. (2016). Biological synthesis of metallic nanoparticles. Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine, 6(2), 257–262.
Vijayaraghavan, K., & Ashokkumar, T. (2017). Plant-mediated biosynthesis of metallic nanoparticles: A review of literature, factors affecting synthesis, characterization techniques and applications. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 5(5), 4866–4883.
Yadav, J. P., Kumar, S., Budhwar, L., Yadav, A., & Yadav, M. (2016). Characterization and antibacterial activity of synthesized silver and gold nanoparticles using leaf extracts. Journal of Cluster Science, 27(5), 1583–1598.
Zhang, D., Ma, X. L., Gu, Y., Huang, H., & Zhang, G. W. (2020). Green synthesis of metallic nanoparticles and their potential applications to treat cancer. Frontiers in Chemistry, 8, 799.
Downloads
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 International Journal of Engineering Science & Humanities
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
