Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles in Biomedical Applications

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) represent a versatile class of inorganic nanomaterials distinguished by their tunable size, surface chemistry and intrinsic semiconducting properties. In biomedical contexts, ZnO NPs have been explored extensively for their capacity to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), release bioactive zinc ions and exhibit distinctive optical behaviours. These combined features underpin a broad spectrum of applications, spanning anticancer therapy, antimicrobial interventions, biosensing, bioimaging and drug delivery. Their relatively low cost, facile synthesis and inherent biocompatibility have encouraged the development of both chemically and biologically synthesised ZnO NPs, with surface functionalisation strategies employed to enhance targeting, control release kinetics and mitigate off-target effects. In cancer therapy, ZnO NPs can induce selective cytotoxicity via mitochondrial disruption and apoptosis, while in antimicrobial settings they compromise bacterial membranes and inhibit biofilm formation. Meanwhile, their strong ultraviolet and visible luminescence supports high-contrast imaging and real-time tracking in living systems. Advances in nanoscale fabrication have yielded one-dimensional (nanowires) and zero-dimensional (quantum dot) architectures, each offering unique advantages in sensor sensitivity and cellular uptake. Despite these promising prospects, challenges remain in fully understanding long-term biocompatibility, biodistribution and degradation pathways. Ongoing research aims to refine synthesis methods, elucidate mechanisms of action at the single-cell level and integrate ZnO NPs into multifunctional theranostic platforms for precision medicine.

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Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles in Biomedical Applications publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in zinc oxide nanoparticles in biomedical applications across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs): Nanoscale particles of zinc oxide with unique optical, electronic and catalytic properties used in diverse biomedical applications.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS): Chemically reactive molecules derived from oxygen that can induce cellular damage or signalling pathways when generated in excess.

Biocompatibility: The ability of a material to interact with biological systems without eliciting unacceptable adverse effects.

Theranostic: A combined approach to therapy and diagnostics using a single agent or platform for targeted treatment and real-time monitoring.

Microfluidic platform: A miniaturised system that manipulates small volumes of fluids to enable high-resolution analysis of individual cells or biochemical reactions.

References

1. Inhibitory effect of zinc oxide nanorod arrays on breast cancer cells profiled through real‐time cytokines screening by a single‐cell microfluidic platform. BMEMat (2023).
2. The Advancing of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications. Bioinorganic Chemistry and Applications (2018).
3. ZnO Nanostructures for Drug Delivery and Theranostic Applications. Nanomaterials (2018).
4. Photoluminescent ZnO Nanoparticles and Their Biological Applications. Materials (2015).
5. Bio-acceptable 0D and 1D ZnO nanostructures for cancer diagnostics and treatment. Materials Today (2021).
6. A Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanocrystals Finely Tuned for Biological Applications. Nanomaterials (2019).