SILVER NANOPARTICLES BASED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS FOR ANTI-BACTERIAL AND ANTIVIRAL APPLICATIONS

Abstract

Bacterial and viral infections are significant global health issues due to the destructive side effects of prolonged use of resistant drugs. In this regard, there is an imperative need for the progress of stable and effective substitutes to traditional antiviral drugs. Silver particles possess potent anti-bacterial and antiviral properties against several pathogens. Silver nanoparticles are the complete package of remarkable properties like, biocompatible, non-toxic, and user-friendly with excellent physical and chemical properties. In recent decades, scientists paid more attention to research related to developing and applying silver nanoparticle-based functional materials. These materials have broad applications, diagonally from sensors to therapeutic agents. The focus of this chapter is to provide a thorough analysis of silver nanoparticles in a different arena. This chapter also explores silver nanoparticles; synthesis, mechanism, and pharmacological application in wound healing, cardiovascular diseases, etc. Due to inadequate awareness about the dosage of the nanoparticles, the toxicity level was increased, leading to severe environmental impact. So, the challenges to be addressed before the commercialization of silver nanoparticles for therapy were discussed in detail.