Synthesis and Biomedical Applications of Copper Oxide Nanoparticles: An Expanding Horizon

Synthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles with tunable size and desirable properties is a foremost thrust area of the biomedical research domain. Though these features primarily rely on the synthetic approaches involved, with advancements in this area, it has been documented that the synthesis parameters and surface modifiers have a direct impact on the morphology and eventually on the biomedical properties. "Sensing" remains a major application of nanomaterials owing to their small size and unusual physicochemical properties, but in the past few years, a paradigm shift has occurred toward "theranostic" combination of the sensing and therapeutic features on a single platform. Copper oxide nanoparticles have been efficiently used for sensing and targeting in both in-vivo and in-vitro environments, although few key challenges are yet to be resolved before implementing at a commercial level. This review article attempts to summarize the recent advancements in the various synthetic approaches toward copper oxide nanoparticles and their biomedical applications. It highlights various synthetic methodologies including electrochemical, chemical, and biogenic methods, the role of surface modifiers in growth mechanisms, and their impact on biomedical applications. Finally, the current status, key challenges, and future perspective of copper oxide nanoparticles will be discussed that inevitably have an impact on their current and future scenarios.