ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses a variety of nanofeatured materials in development for improved drug delivery. Inorganic materials are used to fabricate nanoporous membranes in drug delivery with good antifouling properties, well-controlled linear pores, and scalable manufacturing. The most prevalent bottom-up approach for forming nanoporous polymer membranes is the self-assembly of block copolymers to create pores in polymer thin films. The chapter focuses on the materials that adhere through mechanical forces originating from micro- and nanotemplated features. While gecko-inspired surfaces can be applied to a range of drug delivery devices for improved adhesion, whether it be the gut wall or the skin, nanowires specifically leverage the features of mucosal layers to improve mucoadhesion. Nanotopography has been integrated into drug delivery systems in several novel ways to improve drug transport, uptake, and loading. There are many drugs with intracellular sites of action that must pass through the cellular membrane to be effective.
