Foreword

Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs), due to their interesting physicochemical properties such as smaller size, larger surface area, electrical, optical and magnetic properties are being sought in a wide range of applications including technology, cosmetics, food packaging, medical imaging and drug delivery. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs), quantum dots, mesoporous and amorphous nanosilica, nanosilver, nano titanium and zinc oxides are some of the ENMs currently in commerce. Nevertheless, the attractive physicochemical characteristics of the ENMs also create concerns when exposed to, with respect to human and ecosystem health. This book on “nanomaterials” is very timely, and touches upon the different aspects of application of ENMs in drug delivery. The chapters in this book discuss the use of a spectrum of nanomaterials in drug delivery including nano metal oxides, CNTs and lipid nanoparticles, their various nanoforms, synthesis, characterization, efficacy in terms of drug delivery and the need for toxicity testing. Physicochemical characterization is an important aspect in nanotechnology, especially, in the realm of drug delivery. The synthesis of ENMs can introduce batch to batch variation in terms of size, shape, surface characteristics and chemical composition based on source materials and synthetic routes. Moreover, the stability of ENMs can be affected based on storage conditions. This book has thus given an importance to the aspect of physicochemical testing and discusses the different analytical methods to assess morphology, surface functionalities, behavior in solution, stability, etc. This book on “nanomaterials” also identifies the need for toxicity testing of the ENMs in drug delivery. Toxicity testing is a critical component for the selection of safer ENMs for application in drug delivery and to meet regulatory standards. This book has done a fantastic job in familiarizing the reader with the scope and application of the various ENMs and their nanoforms in drug delivery along with some insight into medical imaging and computational aspect of structure-activity relationships. I congratulate the editor Dr. Surendra Nimesh on doing a fantastic job with this book on the application ENMs in drug delivery, which is one of the promising emerging medical technologies.