Calcium carbonate nano- and microparticles: synthesis methods and biological applications

• Published in: 3 Biotech 2021-11, Vol.11 (11), p.457, Article 457
• Main Authors: Fadia, Preksha, Tyagi, Simona, Bhagat, Stuti, Nair, Abhishek, Panchal, Pooja, Dave, Harsh, Dang, Sadev, Singh, Sanjay
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agriculture; Antiinfectives and antibacterials; Antimicrobial activity; Biocompatibility; Bioinformatics; Biomaterials; Biomedical engineering; Biomedical materials; Biosensors; Biotechnology; Calcium carbonate; Cancer Research; Carbonation; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Drug delivery; Emulsion polymerization; Microparticles; Morphology; Nanomaterials; Nanoparticles; Nanotechnology; Polymers; Review; Review Article; Stem Cells; Synthesis; Tissue engineering
• ISSN: 2190-572X; 2190-5738
• DOI: 10.1007/s13205-021-02995-2

Calcium carbonate micro- and nanoparticles are considered as chemically inert materials. Therefore, they are widely considered in the field of biosensing, drug delivery, and as filler material in plastic, paper, paint, sealant, and adhesive industries. The unusual properties of calcium carbonate-based nanomaterials, such as biocompatibility, high surface-to-volume ratio, robust nature, easy synthesis, and surface functionalization, and ability to exist in a variety of morphologies and polymorphs, make them an ideal candidate for both industrial and biomedical applications. Significant research efforts have been devoted for developing novel synthesis methods of calcium carbonate particles in micrometer and nanometer dimensions. This review highlights different approaches of the synthesis of calcium carbonate micro- and nanoparticles, such as precipitation, slow carbonation, emulsion, polymer-mediated method, including in-situ polymerization, mechano-chemical, microwave-assisted method, and biological methods. The applications of these versatile calcium carbonate micro- and nanoparticles in the biomedical field (such as in drug delivery, therapeutics, tissue engineering, antimicrobial activity, biosensing applications), in industries, and environmental sector has also been comprehensively covered.