Biomedical Applications of Zinc Oxide Nanomaterials

Nanotechnology has witnessed tremendous advancement over the last several decades. Zinc oxide (ZnO), which can exhibit a wide variety of nanostructures, possesses unique semiconducting, optical, and piezoelectric properties hence has been investigated for a wide variety of applications. The most important features of ZnO nanomaterials are low toxicity and biodegradability. Zn(2+) is an indispensable trace element for adults (~10 mg of Zn(2+) per day is recommended) and it is involved in various aspects of metabolism. Chemically, the surface of ZnO is rich in -OH groups, which can be readily functionalized by various surface decorating molecules. In this review article, we summarized the current status of the…