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Review
. 2023 Feb 28;11(3):629.
doi: 10.3390/microorganisms11030629.

Silver Nanoparticles: Review of Antiviral Properties, Mechanism of Action and Applications

Angelica Luceri  1 , Rachele Francese  2 , David Lembo  2 , Monica Ferraris  1 , Cristina Balagna  1
Affiliations
Review

Silver Nanoparticles: Review of Antiviral Properties, Mechanism of Action and Applications

Angelica Luceri et al. Microorganisms. .

Abstract

New antiviral drugs and new preventive antiviral strategies are a target of intense scientific interest. Thanks to their peculiar properties, nanomaterials play an important role in this field, and, in particular, among metallic materials, silver nanoparticles were demonstrated to be effective against a wide range of viruses, in addition to having a strong antibacterial effect. Although the mechanism of antiviral action is not completely clarified, silver nanoparticles can directly act on viruses, and on their first steps of interaction with the host cell, depending on several factors, such as size, shape, functionalization and concentration. This review provides an overview of the antiviral properties of silver nanoparticles, along with their demonstrated mechanisms of action and factors mainly influencing their properties. In addition, the fields of potential application are analyzed, demonstrating the versatility of silver nanoparticles, which can be involved in several devices and applications, including biomedical applications, considering both human and animal health, environmental applications, such as air filtration and water treatment, and for food and textile industry purposes. For each application, the study level of the device is indicated, if it is either a laboratory study or a commercial product.

Keywords: antiviral; antiviral mechanism; applications; silver; silver nanoparticles; virucidal.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Scheme of the effect of dimension, concentration and exposure time on the antiviral effect of AgNPs. A strong antiviral effect is obtained if AgNPs in small dimensions are used in higher concentrations and exposed to viruses for longer times.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Main synthesis methods, effects and potential applications of AgNPs.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Main potential applications of AgNPs in the virology field.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Comparison between two different silver–silica systems: (a) nanostructured silica composite coating containing silver nanoparticles; (b) silica particles decorated with silver nanoparticles.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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