Metal oxide nanomaterials: an introductory overview

Nanotechnology and nanoscience determine the production and application of metal oxide with a size of 1–100 nm. The metal oxide nanomaterials are widely employed for development in a number of fields that include agriculture, material science, cosmetics, food industry, clinics, and diagnostic applications. The syntheses of metal oxide nanoparticles are a growing research area owing to their potential applications in pursuit of novel technologies. There are various physical and chemical methods used for producing metal oxide nanomaterials but green methods in different substrates such as enzymes, plant extracts, microbial extracts, etc. are much preferred since they are environment-friendly replacements. Nowadays, metal oxide nanomaterials are being examined as essential agricultural products, namely nano-fertilizer, nano-pesticides, and nano-herbicides in each microscale and nanoscale preparation and formulation. In this chapter, we summarize the overview of metal oxide nanomaterials and their agricultural applications.