Recent progress in the applications of silica-based nanoparticles

Functionalized silica nanoparticles (SiO₂ NPs) have attracted great attention due to their promising distinctive, versatile, and privileged physiochemical characteristics. These enhanced properties make this type of functionalized nanoparticles particularly appropriate for different applications. A lack of reviews that summarizes the fabrications of such nanomaterials and their different applications in the same work has been observed in the literature. Therefore, in this work, we will discuss the recent signs of progress in the fabrication of functionalized silica nanoparticles and their attractive applications that have been extensively highlighted (advanced catalysis, drug-delivery, biomedical applications, environmental remediation applications, and wastewater treatment). These applications have been selected for demonstrating the role of the surface modification step on the various properties of the silica surface. In addition, the current challenges in the applications of functionalized silica nanoparticles and corresponding strategies to discuss these issues and future perspectives for additional improvement have been addressed.