Inorganic Nanoflowers—Synthetic Strategies and Physicochemical Properties for Biomedical Applications: A Review

Abstract

Nanoflowers, which are flower-shaped nanomaterials, have attracted significant attention from scientists due to their unique morphologies, facile synthetic methods, and physicochemical properties such as a high surface-to-volume ratio, enhanced charge transfer and carrier immobility, and an increased surface reaction efficiency. Nanoflowers can be synthesized using inorganic or organic materials, or a combination of both (called a hybrid), and are mainly used for biomedical applications. Thus far, researchers have focused on hybrid nanoflowers and only a few studies on inorganic nanoflowers have been reported. For the first time in the literature, we have consolidated all the reports on the biomedical applications of inorganic nanoflowers in this review. Herein, we review some important inorganic nanoflowers, which have applications in antibacterial treatment, wound healing, combinatorial cancer therapy, drug delivery, and biosensors to detect diseased conditions such as diabetes, amyloidosis, and hydrogen peroxide poisoning. In addition, we discuss the recent advances in their biomedical applications and preparation methods. Finally, we provide a perspective on the current trends and potential future directions in nanoflower research. The development of inorganic nanoflowers for biomedical applications has been limited to date. Therefore, a diverse range of nanoflowers comprising inorganic elements and materials with composite structures must be synthesized using ecofriendly synthetic strategies.