Functional Inorganic Biomaterials for Molecular Sensing and Biomedical Applications

Inorganic biomaterials encompass a wide range of materials, including metals, polymers, ceramics, and composites, and play a pivotal role in chemistry, materials science, biology, medicine, and biomedical engineering. With tunable intrinsic properties (e.g., shape, size, aspect ratio, surface-to-volume ratio, topography, electrostatic interactions) and versatile functionality, inorganic nanoparticles and biomaterials are highly sought after in molecular imaging and clinical therapy. The applications extend across regenerative medicine, tumor and atherosclerosis imaging, tissue engineering, drug delivery, orthopedic implants, photothermal therapy, and the design of medical devices. In addition, inorganic biomaterials, nanoparticles, and hybrid assemblies can function as scaffolds for immobilizing biomolecules, enabling the development of advanced materials tailored for specific biological applications. The Special Issue highlighted 10 original research papers and a review article on the structural characterization, biophysical and biochemical properties, and biocompatibility of inorganic biomaterials, as well as their wide-ranging applications. Topics included imaging, therapeutic drug delivery in neutron capture therapy, optical sensing, SARS-Cov2 diagnosis, tumor therapy, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine. The overarching objective was to showcase recent advances in inorganic biomaterials and nanoparticles, spanning all stages from design to application.