Food additives for the synthesis of metal nanoparticles: a review

Metal nanoparticles have found applications in many fields such as molecular diagnostics, electronic devices and environmental remediation. Nonetheless, nanomaterial production often involves hazardous chemicals and reactions, and some toxic nanoparticles end up contaminating the environment. Therefore, synthesis of nanomaterials from safe raw materials is gaining research interest. For instance, food additives, which are commonly used as colors, flavors, stabilizers and preservatives, could be also used to synthesize safe nanomaterials. Here, we review food additives used to produce metal nanoparticles. We found that most metal nanoparticles were spherical with a size lower than 70 nm. Nanoparticles are often stable and biocompatible and possess therapeutic effects.