Silica-based (SBA-15) sustainable materials and their recent advances in biomedical applications

Abstract

The precise control of morphology through its uniform channel-like structure is one of the primary attributes driving the rising interest in the expanding field of materials science. For example, mesoporous silicas (MSs) are attracting considerable attention due to their inherent properties such as large specific surface area, precise channels, tunable pore size, and promising physicochemical stability. These fascinating materials span a variety of applications in the area of catalysis, adsorption, gas storage, controlled-release systems, etc. On the other hand, Santa Barbara Amorphous no. 15 (SBA-15) comes under the silica-based mesoporous material with hexagonal channels of pore size in the range of 2–30 nm, known for its potential applications in biology, i.e. drug delivery, biomedical devices, and sensing. Further, the binding ability of SBA-15 with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs and biocompatibility make it an excellent option for developing various biomedical devices. SBA-15's sorption capacity and performance can be altered by functionalising various groups on its surface. Such functionalisation makes this inorganic nanostructured material suitable for a wide range of biomedical applications. The future of SBA-15 lies in its ability to take biomedical applications to the next level, with a specific focus on wound healing, bone regeneration, and drug delivery. Its physicochemical properties and capacity for functionalisation make it an attractive material for use as next-gen bio-composites and tissue engineering scaffolds. However, so far, there is no dedicated review available in this particular domain. Hence, we propose the review focuses on the biomedical application of SBA-15 with special emphasis on wound healing, bone regeneration, sensors, drug delivery and as skin tissue engineering scaffolds.