Metal‐Based Nanomaterials in Biomedical Applications: Antimicrobial Activity and Cytotoxicity Aspects

TLDR

Microbial colonization of material surfaces leads to biofilm formation, posing significant economic and health challenges, and antimicrobial nanocompounds are increasingly explored to prevent adhesion or kill microbes. This review surveys state‑of‑the‑art antimicrobial nanosized metal‑based compounds, including metal and metal‑oxide nanoparticles and transition‑metal nanosheets. The authors discuss how these nanostructures exert antimicrobial effects and their applications in catheters, implants, delivery systems, tissue engineering, and dentistry. They highlight the compounds’ properties while noting cytotoxicity, reduced efficacy, and potential for antimicrobial resistance, underscoring the need for future research.

Abstract

Abstract Microbial colonization on material surfaces is ubiquitous. Biofilms derived from surface‐colonized microbes pose serious problems to the society from both an economical perspective and a health concern. Incorporation of antimicrobial nanocompounds within or on the surface of materials, or by coatings, to prevent microbial adhesion or kill the microorganisms after their attachment to biofilms, represents an important strategy in an increasingly challenging field. Over the last decade, many studies have been devoted to preparing meta‐based nanomaterials that possess antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal activities to combat pathogen‐related diseases. Herein, an overview on the state‐of‐the‐art antimicrobial nanosized metal‐based compounds is provided, including metal and metal oxide nanoparticles as well as transition metal nanosheets. The antimicrobial mechanism of these nanostructures and their biomedical applications such as catheters, implants, medical delivery systems, tissue engineering, and dentistry are discussed. Their properties as well as potential caveats such as cytotoxicity, diminishing efficacy, and induction of antimicrobial resistance of materials incorporating these nanostructures are reviewed to provide a backdrop for future research.