ABSTRACT
Recent developments in the field of nanotechnology are providing opportunities to logically design nanomaterials and manipulate their physicochemical properties and surface chemistry for numerous potential applications. Moreover, engineered nanomaterials display remarkable potential with better functionality, sensitivity, efficiency, and specificity due to their unique physicochemical and surface properties. It is anticipated that applications of various nano-products will evolve in the near future. With this in mind, understanding their impact on health, agriculture, and the environment is imperative to suitably manage possible unknown risks. This chapter has been developed to demonstrate the importance of various nano-scale properties and nano-bio interfacial interactions, while evaluating biological studies to understand the principles of safer designs for nanomaterials. This chapter also provides insight into factors such as the cleanness of nanomaterials, their electron transfer ability, surface defects, and surface oxidizability in biological settings which have often been neglected for their role in nanomaterials’ inherent toxicity. Further developments in this area will provide us with innovative strategies to engineer new generations of nontoxic products containing nanomaterials for a range of applications.
