Impact of anti-biofouling surface coatings on the properties of nanomaterials and their biomedical applications

Abstract

Understanding and subsequently controlling non-specific interactions between engineered nanomaterials and biological environment have become increasingly important for further developing and advancing nanotechnology for biomedical applications. Such non-specific interactions, also known as the biofouling effect, mainly associate with the adsorption of biomolecules (such as proteins, DNAs, RNAs, and peptides) onto the surface of nanomaterials and the adhesion or uptake of nanomaterials by various cells. By altering the surface properties of nanomaterials the biofouling effect can lead to changes of physicochemical properties, pharmacokinetics, functions, and toxicity of nanomaterials. This review provides discussions on the current understanding of the biofouling effect, the factors that affect the non-specific interactions associated with biofouling, and the impact of the biofouling effect on the performances and functions of nanomaterials. An overview of the development and applications of various anti-biofouling coating materials to preserve and improve the properties and functions of engineered nanomaterials for intended biomedical applications is also provided.

Influence of size and surface capping on photoluminescence and cytotoxicity of gold nanoparticles

“…The biomedical interest of these NPs resides in their good biocompatibility, low inherent toxicity (Lewinski et al 2008 ), facile synthesis (Jain et al 2006 ), high biofunctionalization capability (Li et al 2018 ), and especially, in their unique optical properties.…”

Facile one-pot synthesis of silver nanoparticles encapsulated in natural polymeric urushiol for marine antifouling

“…10 Similarly, it was gradually banned due to their ecological risks. 11 Alternatively, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are currently widely used in a variety of applications such as water purication, 12 bio-medicine, 13 and food preservatives. It has been considered as a promising antifoulant due to its broad-spectral applications, long-term antibacterial activity, and relatively lower environmental risks.…”

Applications of nano-materials in diverse dentistry regimes

“…It is possible to use various procedures for estimating the size of the nano-materials such as TEM, XRD, and SEM, although the zeta potential and size analysis by dynamic light scattering (DLS) may be applied for nding the sizes of extremely small nano-materials. 89…”