Hexagonal boron nitride nanomaterials for biomedical applications

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) nanomaterials are a rising star in the field of biomedicine. This review presents an overview of the progress in h-BN nanomaterials for biological applications. It begins with a general introduction of the structural characteristics of h-BN, followed by the brief introduction of its physical and chemical properties, including thermal, band and mechanical properties, chemical reactivity, biodegradability and biocompatibility, then emphasizes on the recent progress in the biomedical applications including drug delivery, boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), bioimaging and nanozyme, and ends with the challenges and perspectives related to the biomedical applications. The advantages of BN nanomaterials used for biomedical applications were analyzed, and their problems were also discussed, inspiring the future rational designs of the BN nanomedicines.