Nanostructured biomaterials and their applications

Kirsten Parratt, Nan Yao

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

19 Scopus citations

Abstract

Some of the most important advances in the life sciences have come from transitioning to thinking of materials and their properties on the nanoscale rather than the macro or even microscale. Improvements in imaging technology have allowed us to see nanofeatures that directly impact chemical and mechanical properties of natural and man-made materials. Now that these can be imaged and quantified, substantial advances have been made in the fields of biomimetics, tissue engineering, and drug delivery. For the first time, scientists can determine the importance of nanograins and nanoasperities in nacre, direct the nucleation of apatite and the growth of cells on nanostructured scaffolds, and pass drugs tethered to nanoparticles through the blood-brain barrier. This review examines some of the most interesting materials whose nanostructure and hierarchical organization have been shown to correlate directly with favorable properties and their resulting applications.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)242-271
Number of pages30
JournalNanomaterials
Volume3
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2013
Externally publishedYes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Chemical Engineering
  • General Materials Science

Keywords

  • Biomimetics
  • Drug delivery
  • Hydroxyapatite
  • Nacre
  • Nanoparticles
  • Nanostructured scaffolds

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