Nanoparticle
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In materials science, a nanoparticle is a member of a class of particles (or atomic clusters), which have average dimensions smaller than roughly 100 nm. They exhibit properties not normally associated with the bulk phase of materials, such as quantum optical effects.[1]
Toxicology and environmental effects
Possible toxic effects of nanoparticles are not fully understood. [2]
Life sciences applications
Manufactured nanoparticles can be used for drug delivery, mimicking the behavior of cellular components and acting as "intracellular reservoirs for sustained release of encapsulated therapeutic agent" Components include:[3]
They may be manufactured as:
- coated solid particles
- polymers
- solid lipid nanoparticles
References
- ↑ Vincent A. Hackley and Chiara F. Ferraris (August 2001), The Use of Nomenclature in Dispersion Science and Technology, National Institute of Standards and Technology, p. 4
- ↑ Rodger Duffin, Toxicology of Pollution Particles
- ↑ Pieter Stroeve, Nanotechnology in the life sciences: Life sciences and medicine, Frontis Lecture Series, pp. 26-27