Biosynthesis of zirconia nanoparticles using the fungus Fusarium oxysporum

Zirconia nanoparticles may be produced by challenging the fungus Fusarium oxysporum with aqueous ZrF₆^2- anions; extra-cellular protein-mediated hydrolysis of the anionic complexes results in the facile room temperature synthesis of nanocrystalline zirconia. Extracellular hydrolysis of the metal anions by cationic proteins of molecular weight around 24 to 28 kDa, which are rather similar in nature to silicatein, is shown to be responsible for the synthesis of zirconia nanoparticles, opening up the exciting possibility of large-scale biological synthesis of technologically important oxide materials.