1 - Bioactivity, biocompatibility, and toxicity of metal oxides

Abstract

Metal oxides (MOs) possess several unique physicochemical properties, including structural, chemical, magnetic, electrical, and thermal characteristics. The versatility of these properties make them potential candidates for several industrial and consumer products. Additionally, due to their excellent bioactivity and biocompatibility, the use of MOs such as TiO2, ZnO, Fe2O3, and CeO2 is currently undergoing a dramatic expansion in biomedical applications. Dental implants, drug delivery, bioimaging, biosensor, and antimicrobial agents are just a few examples of their diverse applications. This chapter emphasizes the mechanisms of bioactivity, biocompatibility, and biomedical applications of MOs. Furthermore, MO nanoparticles are the most produced nanoparticles industrially. The extensive utilization of MO nanoparticles confers a potential risk of human exposure and environmental release that clearly raises health concerns. Nanoparticles have higher chemical and physical activities than their bulk states, such as adsorption ability, ion release, and reactive oxygen species production, which could include toxic effects on biological systems. Therefore an overview of the toxicity (in vitro and in vivo) of some of the most important MOs has also been discussed here.