Nanomaterial surface modification toolkit: Principles, components, recipes, and applications

Surface-functionalized nanostructures are at the forefront of biotechnology, providing new opportunities for biosensors, drug delivery, therapy, and bioimaging applications. The modification of nanostructures significantly impacts the performance and success of various applications by enabling selective and precise targeting. This review elucidates widely practiced surface modification strategies, including click chemistry, cross-coupling, silanization, aldehyde linkers, active ester chemistry, maleimide chemistry, epoxy linkers, and other protein and DNA-based methodologies. We also delve into the application-focused landscape of the nano-bio interface, emphasizing four key domains: therapeutics, biosensing, environmental monitoring, and point-of-care technologies, by highlighting prominent studies. The insights presented herein pave the way for further innovations at the intersection of nanotechnology and biotechnology, providing a useful handbook for beginners and professionals. The review draws on various sources, including the latest research articles (2018-2023), to provide a comprehensive overview of the field.

Automated summary

Surface-functionalized nanostructures play a crucial role in biotechnology with applications in biosensors, drug delivery, therapy, and bioimaging. This review provides an overview of widely used surface modification strategies and discusses the application-focused landscape in four key domains: therapeutics, biosensing, environmental monitoring, and point-of-care technologies. The insights presented in this review serve as a useful guide for both beginners and professionals, promoting further innovations at the intersection of nanotechnology and biotechnology.