Exploring the potential of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) for sustainable environmental bioengineering applications

Metal oxide nanoparticles have emerged as a technological force, exhibiting rapid expansion in the realms of electronics, catalysis, medical science, and chemical industries now-a-days. Among those, copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) have pulled together a great deal of interest because of their diverse properties and potential applications in the fields of nanomedicine and biomedical sciences. The environmental protection agency in the United States approved Cu-based alloys to be used in humans, and reports have proven that Cu is a trace element in various regulatory and signaling pathways involved in humans, which clearly indicates CuO NPs are biocompatible in nature as well. CuO NPs can be synthesized by two methods: bottom-up and top-down approaches, respectively, and the synthesis method parameters have a direct impact on the morphology and biomedical properties. CuO NPs are developed and deployed in various biomedical applications, such as anticancer, antimicrobial, drug delivery, tissue engineering, and biosensors. This review summarizes and discusses all the lacunae found so far, such as molecular mechanisms of antimicrobial and anticancer effects of CuO NPs, surface or targeted therapy, and controlled and targeted release of drugs. It also highlights the recent advancement and current status of CuO NPs in biomedical applications. Although there are many research and advancement in the field still many research gaps and challenges are yet to be resolved before bringing it to the commercial level.

The graphical abstract describes the synthesis and formation of copper oxide nanoparticles. By e-ncapsulation and preventing nanoparticles agglomeration, the stability and cytocompatibility of nanoparticles including their biomedical applications like antimicrobial, antiviral, anticancer, biosensor, drug delivery, tissue engineering, etc. can be controlled.