Nanoparticles (NPs) provide multipurpose platforms for a wide range of biological applications. These applications are enabled through molecular design of surface coverages, modulating NP interactions with biosystems. In this review, we highlight approaches to functionalize nanoparticles with "small" organic ligands (Mw < 1000), providing insight into how organic synthesis can be used to engineer NPs for nanobiology and nanomedicine.
Keywords: bacterial biofilm; bioorthogonal catalysis; drug delivery; inorganic nanoparticles; monolayers; nanozyme; peptide and proteins; stimuli-responsive; surface chemistry; tumors.