POSS nanocomposites for biological applications

Abstract In past decades, biomaterials-based nanotechnology has shown increasing and promising applications in biomedicine including disease therapy and theragnostics. The development of novel biomedical materials has become one of the most important directions in biomedicine. As the new generation of inorganic-organic nanomaterials, polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) and its nanocomposites have attracted much attention in biomedicine including bioimaging, tissue regeneration, drug and gene delivery, biomedical devices, and biosensors. POSS-based nanocomposites have demonstrated special advantages in mechanical properties, bioactivity, and biodegradation. This chapter introduces the design, synthesis, and biomedical applications of POSS-based nanocomposites.