Recent Advances in Boron Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Strategic Modification, and Expanding Horizons in Biomedical Applications

Abstract

The scientific community has witnessed a surge in research on boron nanomaterials over the past decade, covering elemental boron nanoparticles, boron quantum dots, borophene, boron nitride, boron carbide, and various modified boron nanostructures. On the basis of extensive theoretical investigations, researchers have successfully prepared and optimized a wide range of boron nanomaterials with diverse compositions through experimental approaches. These materials exhibit diverse size-, composition-, and surface-dependent properties, including quantum-confined optical behavior, photothermal conversion, fluorescence, and tunable interactions with biological interfaces, which have driven their broad application potential in the biomedical field. Despite the rapid progress in boron nanomaterial research, comprehensive reviews specifically addressing their biomedical application value remain relatively scarce. This review systematically summarizes the synthesis strategies, functional properties, and recent advances of boron nanomaterials in boron neutron capture therapy, phototherapy, drug delivery, biomedical imaging, and biosensing. It also discusses the biodistribution and safety profiles of these materials, providing a reference and outlook for the translation of boron nanomaterials from versatile laboratory systems into reproducible and clinically applicable biomedical platforms.