AccScience Publishing / IMO / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/IMO025210024
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REVIEW ARTICLE

Biocompatibility of nanomaterials in medical applications

Marvellous O. Eyube1,2* ,  Courage Enuesueke1,2 ,  Marvellous Alimikhena1,2
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1 Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Physical Science, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria
2 Science and Technological Enhanced Laboratory for Advanced Learning and Research, Benin City, Nigeria
IMO, 025210024 https://doi.org/10.36922/IMO025210024
Received: 23 May 2025 | Revised: 29 June 2025 | Accepted: 4 July 2025 | Published online: 18 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry )
© 2025 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Biocompatibility is a critical factor in the application of nanomaterials in medical fields, as these materials must interact safely and effectively with biological systems to be viable for therapeutic and diagnostic use. This article investigates this feature, focusing on the interactions of nanomaterials with cells, tissues, and the immune system. Key properties such as surface chemistry, size, shape, and material composition are examined for their influence on the biological response. The article also explores the role of nanomaterials in medical applications, including drug delivery, diagnostic imaging, and tissue engineering, while discussing the challenges involved in enhancing their biocompatibility. A case study on the calcium oxide (CaO)–calcium phosphate (CaP) binary system is presented, showcasing its potential in bone tissue engineering, particularly its osteoinductive properties and ability to mimic the bone mineral content. The analysis underscores both its therapeutic potential and the biocompatibility concerns of CaO–CaP scaffolds. The article concludes by outlining strategies to optimize nanomaterial biocompatibility and future directions for their translation into medical applications.

Keywords
Biocompatibility
Calcium oxide–calcium phosphate system
Nanomaterials
Tissue-engineering
Osteointegration
Regeneration
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
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