Nano-technological Initiative (NNI) of the USA was approved. An antibacterial

technology with trade name ‘Silver Nanotm’ was introduced by Samsung, Korea. By

the end of year 2003, Mercedes-Benz brought nanoparticle-based clear coat for

metallic as well as non-metallic paint finish. Addition of these NPs into the series

production increased scratch resistance and enhanced the gloss.

In year 2005, Abraxane™, the human serum albumin NPs containing paclitaxel,

was manufactured. Ferrofluids, commonly called liquid magnets, are the most stable

suspension of small magnetic NPs bearing super paramagnetic properties; this liquid

on onset of magnetic field will magnetize itself, which aligns the NPs in magnetic

field direction (Alexiou et al. 2001). TiO2 NPs have solar cells bearing

dye-sensitization ability, exemplarily. In 2012, Logitech brought external iPad

keyboard with this technique. Thus, nanotechnology emerged in 1960s, while during

1980s and 1990s, the development of nanotechnology started. Now it is, however,

widely accepted that nanotechnology is now envisaged as a major factor for success

in the twenty-first century and regarded as ‘Next Industrial Revolution’.

26.3

Sources of Nanoparticles

26.3.1 Sources of Nanoparticles Are Mainly Classified in Three

Prominent Categories

1. Engineered NPs: As the name suggests these are self-designed NPs engineered to

have

certain

specific

qualities

and

characteristics

leading

to

desirable

applications. Many anthropogenic activities as diesel or engine exhaust burning,

cigarette smoke and building demolition can be used for synthesis of such NPs

(Soto et al. 2005). NPs from health care are also included in this type. Thus, these

are new genres of NPs which can completely show suspicious human health and

environmental effects.

2. Incidental NPs: These are incidentally produced materials, which are actually the

by-product of different industrial processes, like NP formation from vehicle

welding fume, engine exhaust or some natural processes like photochemical

reaction, forest fire, volcanic eruptions, ocean evaporation, etc. (Buzea et al.

2007a, b). These natural events result in production of high number of NPs.

Likewise, some human activities like charcoal burning also lead to synthesis of

NPs (Yano et al. 1990).

3. Natural NPs: These are vastly present and easily synthesized from bodies of

plants, microorganisms, animals, insects and even human beings (Gong et al.

2015). Unlike engineered and incidental NPs, natural NPs are present in living

organisms ranging from microorganisms like bacterial, algae and virus to com-

plex organisms like plants, insects, birds, animals and humans. This knowledge

of presence of NPs in microorganisms may be important because of their further

use in biomedical applications (Buzea et al. 2007a, b; Jeevanandam et al. 2018).

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