π-Conjugated Polymer Nanoparticles from Design, Synthesis to Biomedical Applications: Sensing, Imaging, and Therapy

Nada Elgiddawy; Noha Elnagar; Hafsa Korri-Youssoufi; Abderrahim Yassar

doi:10.3390/microorganisms11082006

π-Conjugated Polymer Nanoparticles from Design, Synthesis to Biomedical Applications: Sensing, Imaging, and Therapy

Microorganisms. 2023 Aug 3;11(8):2006. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms11082006.

Authors

Nada Elgiddawy^{1

2}, Noha Elnagar^{1

3}, Hafsa Korri-Youssoufi¹, Abderrahim Yassar⁴

Affiliations

¹ CNRS, Institut de Chimie Moléculaire et des Matériaux d'Orsay (ICMMO), Université Paris-Saclay, ECBB, 91400 Orsay, France.
² Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, Faculty of Postgraduate Studies for Advanced Sciences (PSAS), Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef 62 511, Egypt.
³ Materials Science and Nanotechnology Department, Faculty of Postgraduate Studies for Advanced Sciences (PSAS), Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef 62 511, Egypt.
⁴ LPICM, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, Route de Saclay, 91128 Palaiseau, France.

Abstract

In the past decade, π-conjugated polymer nanoparticles (CPNs) have been considered as promising nanomaterials for biomedical applications, and are widely used as probe materials for bioimaging and drug delivery. Due to their distinctive photophysical and physicochemical characteristics, good compatibility, and ease of functionalization, CPNs are gaining popularity and being used in more and more cutting-edge biomedical sectors. Common synthetic techniques can be used to synthesize CPNs with adjustable particle size and dispersion. More importantly, the recent development of CPNs for sensing and imaging applications has rendered them as a promising device for use in healthcare. This review provides a synopsis of the preparation and functionalization of CPNs and summarizes the recent advancements of CPNs for biomedical applications. In particular, we discuss their major role in bioimaging, therapeutics, fluorescence, and electrochemical sensing. As a conclusion, we highlight the challenges and future perspectives of biomedical applications of CPNs.

Keywords: bioimaging; biomedical application; conjugated polymer nanoparticles; drug delivery; electrochemical sensing; fluorescence sensing; organic semiconducting.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

N. E. thanks the French Embassy in Egypt, the French Institute in Egypt (IFE) and the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) for Doctoral Scholarship for one year at the CNRS, Institut de Chimie Moléculaire et des Matériaux d’Orsay, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France.