title: Zinc oxide nanoparticles for revolutionizing agriculture: synthesis and applications.
abstract: Nanotechnology is the most innovative field of 21st century. Extensive research is going on for commercializing nanoproducts throughout the world. Due to their unique properties, nanoparticles have gained considerable importance compared to bulk counterparts. Among other metal nanoparticles, zinc oxide nanoparticles are very much important due to their utilization in gas sensors, biosensors, cosmetics, drug-delivery systems, and so forth. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) also have remarkable optical, physical, and antimicrobial properties and therefore have great potential to enhance agriculture. As far as method of formation is concerned, ZnO NPs can be synthesized by several chemical methods such as precipitation method, vapor transport method, and hydrothermal process. The biogenic synthesis of ZnO NPs by using different plant extracts is also common nowadays. This green synthesis is quite safe and ecofriendly compared to chemical synthesis. This paper elaborates the synthesis, properties, and applications of zinc oxide nanoparticles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, PMAS Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Rawalpindi 46000, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Sidra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sabir
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, PMAS Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Rawalpindi 46000, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arshad
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, PMAS Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Rawalpindi 46000, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Sunbal Khalil
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9590-3514
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Chaudhari
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000639:trends; D028526:Coriandrum; D055772:Green Chemistry Technology / Q000639:trends; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000639:trends; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015034:Zinc Oxide / Q000138:chemical synthesis*
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D015034:Zinc Oxide