Silica nanoparticles applications in the biomedical field

Abstract

Nanomedicine, the application of nanoscience and nanotechnology to healthcare, hasemerged in the last two decades as a promising tool for several therapeutic and diagnosticapplications. In this context, a plethora of organic and inorganic nanoparticles havebeen extensively developed to precisely act as drug delivery, bioimaging, bactericidal,virucidal, and vaccination systems. Among them, silica-based nanomaterials exhibitmany desirable features that are attractive to nanomedicine. From a chemical point ofview, the main advantages of silica nanoparticles (SiO2NPs) include tunable size andporosity, simple and versatile surface functionalization, facile and cost-effective production,and easy large-scale synthesis. In addition, from a biological and medical perspective,SiO2NPs have shown limited toxicity and good biodegradability, making themgood candidates for in vivo applications