Colloidal particles are being extensively studied in various antimicrobial applications due to their small size to volume ratio and ability to exhibit a wide spectrum of antibacterial, antifungal, antialgal and antiviral action. The present review focuses on various nanoparticles (NPs) of inorganic, organic and hybrid materials, and discusses some of the methods for their preparation as well as mechanisms of their antimicrobial action. We consider the antimicrobial applications of metal oxide nanoparticles (ZnO, MgO, CuO, Cu₂O, Al₂O₃, TiO₂, CeO₂ and Y₂O₃), metal nanoparticles (NPs), such as copper, silver and gold, metal hydroxide NPs such as Mg(OH)₂ as well as hybrid NPs made from biodegradable materials, such as chitosan, lignin and dextran, loaded with other antimicrobial agents. Recent developments for targeted delivery of antimicrobials by using colloid antibodies for microbial cell shape and surface recognition are also discussed. We also consider recent advances in the functionalization of nanoparticles and their potential antimicrobial applications as a viable alternative of conventional antibiotics and antiseptic agents which can help to tackle antimicrobial resistance. The review also covers the recently developed environmentally benign NPs (EbNPs) as a “safer-by-design” green chemistry solution of the post use fate of antimicrobial nanomaterials.

胶体颗粒由于其体积体积比小，并具有广泛的抗菌，抗真菌，抗藻类和抗病毒作用，因此正在各种抗菌应用中得到广泛研究。本综述着重于无机，有机和杂化材料的各种纳米颗粒（NPs），并讨论了一些制备它们的方法以及它们的抗菌作用机理。我们考虑了金属氧化物纳米颗粒（ZnO，MgO，CuO，Cu ₂ O，Al ₂ O ₃，TiO ₂，CeO ₂和Y ₂ O ₃），金属纳米颗粒（NPs）（例如铜，银和金）的抗菌应用，金属氢氧化物NP，例如Mg（OH）₂以及由可生物降解的材料（如壳聚糖，木质素和右旋糖酐）制成的杂化NP，并掺有其他抗菌剂。还讨论了通过使用胶体抗体进行微生物细胞形状和表面识别来靶向递送抗微生物剂的最新进展。我们还考虑了纳米颗粒功能化及其潜在抗菌应用方面的最新进展，将其作为常规抗生素和防腐剂的可行替代品，可以帮助解决抗菌素耐药性问题。审查还涵盖了最近开发的环境友好型NP（EbNPs），作为抗菌纳米材料使用后命运的“设计安全”绿色化学解决方案。