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in: Surface Modifications of Nanomaterials for Energy, Environmental and Biomedical Applications, Elsevier, pp.455-494, 2026
Nanotechnology, one of the final points reached by miniaturization, which forms the basis of many engineering studies, is an interdisciplinary field of science with wide research and application areas, allowing the development of various products as well as the improvement of existing products. Nanomaterials, a product of nanotechnology, stand out in both biomedical engineering and biotechnology fields due to their size and surface modification possibilities. The use of nanomaterials as targeted drug delivery systems (DDSs) brings together researchers in basic science and engineering with researchers in the pharmaceutical and clinical fields on common ground. Surface modification of nanoparticles designed as DDSs is at least as important as the nanoparticle itself. The size and surface properties of nanoparticles can be modified to suit the delivery requirements of drugs. Nanoparticles can be targeted passively and/or actively using specific ligands so that the drug can reach the targeted area, enable the transport of hydrophobic drugs, and provide outstanding features such as being biocompatible, antibacterial, biodegradable, and so on. These can be achieved through surface modifications with a variety of ligands, including polyethylene glycol, saccharides, peptides, folates, transferrins, and antibodies. The studies on the conjugation methods and ligands for targeting are summarized in this chapter.