PEGylated Inorganic Nanoparticles

Abstract

Application of inorganic nanoparticles in diagnosis and therapy has become a critical component in the targeted treatment of diseases. The surface modification of inorganic oxides is important for providing diversity in size, shape, solubility, long‐term stability, and attachment of selective functional groups. This Minireview describes the role of polyethylene glycol (PEG) in the surface modification of oxides and focuses on their biomedical applications. Such a PEGylation of surfaces provides “stealth” characteristics to nanomaterials otherwise identified as foreign materials by human body. The role of PEG as structure‐directing agent in synthesis of oxides is also presented.