Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials Across Catalysis, Drug Delivery, Tissue Engineering, Chemical Sensing, Nanopesticides, and Food Packaging: Structure–Property Relationships, Translational Challenges, and Future Directions

ABSTRACT

Nanotechnology has matured from predominantly materials‐based research to a rational design platform for controlling surface chemistry, interfacial interactions, nanoscale assembly and architectures for application specific functionality spanning catalysis, medicine, tissue engineering, chemical sensing, crop protection and food contact materials. This review provides a critical discussion of the influence of size, shape, crystallinity, surface charge, functional groups, matrix‐nanofiller interactions and material structure on application specific functionality rather than taking the generalized view that nanoparticles are superior to conventional materials for all applications. The significant role of polymeric and hybrid architectures, nanocatalysts, nano‐enabled delivery systems, regenerative scaffolds, electrochemical and biosensing platforms, nanopesticides and nanocomposite food contact materials is considered. Reproducibility, scalability, colloidal stability, protein corona formation, biological and environmental fate, migration and release, regulation, life cycle considerations and the gap between research laboratories and application deployment are discussed. Recent developments in sensing using 2D nanomaterials, with specific focus on electrical conductivity are presented. Food contact focuses on the importance of exposure in addition to efficacy and persistence. Nanomedicine discusses targeting, including targeting success rates, influenced by particle properties, barriers and clearance; route of administration, heterogeneity of disease; and disease site accessibility, such as the blood–brain barrier, blood–retinal barrier, air blood barrier, placental barrier and blood–testes barrier. We conclude with proposed principles and priorities for safer, scalable, reproducible and application specific nanotechnologies.