Research progress on the preparation of lignin micro/nano-particles and their biomedical applications

Abstract

The interest in lignin micro/nano-particles (LMNPs) has markedly grown due to their unique physicochemical properties, including high specific surface area, abundant active sites, exceptional biocompatibility, and biodegradability. These attributes position them as promising novel micro/nano-scale materials. Although LMNPs hold great potential for application in multiple fields, scarcely any reviews have zeroed in on their biomedical applications, such as drug delivery, targeted therapy, biosensing, wound healing, tissue engineering, and use as antibacterial agents. Notably, the drug delivery and antibacterial applications have only garnered limited in-depth analysis. Therefore, it is important to provide a comprehensive overview of the current advancements in the development of these micro/nano-materials, offering valuable insights for their further progress in the biomedical field. This review summarizes recent advances in the preparation techniques, formation mechanisms, and biomedical applications of LMNPs, while spotlighting the differences in performance of LMNPs prepared by different methods. More specifically, we propose several key strategies to meet the challenges associated with the green scale-up production, quality consistency, and clinical validation of LMNPs, along with suggesting potential solutions to expedite LMNP research. These efforts will magnify their significance as sustainable materials in nano-medicine and advance them toward practical applications.