The potential toxicity of nanomaterials - The role of surfaces

Nanotechnology has attracted considerable attention in the scientific community ever since its emergence as a powerful basic and applied science tool. While beneficial aspects of nanomaterials are well visioned, several reports have suggested the negative impact of nanomaterials on living cells. The diverse array of surface properties achieved due to reduction in particle size that catalyzes the surface chemistry of nanoparticles is responsible for their toxic potential. Physical parameters such as surface area, particle size, surface charge, and zeta potential are very important for providing mechanistic details in the uptake, persistence, and biological toxicity, of nanoparticles inside living cells. This short review provides insights into the physical, chemical, and interfacial parameters on the toxic potential of nanomaterials. While nanotechnology has promised invaluable progress in science and technology, the onus rests on the scientific community to predict the unknown outcome on the biological system for its safe proliferation.