Toxicity of functionalized nanoparticles: current trends and emerging challenges

Abstract Nanoparticles (NPs) are increasingly used in consumer products and have become important in many industries such as medicine, cosmetics, paints, plastics, etc. However, NPs are extensively used in its functionalized forms that vary vastly from the parent material. To have deep insight about the toxicity of NPs, a broader knowledge about its functionalization processes is essential. This work highlights the different types of functionalization processes and the impact of the different functionalized forms of NPs in relation to its toxicity. This work also highlights some important biological models for the evaluation of nanotoxicity associated with the functionalized NPs. Moreover, the emerging challenges in the multidimensional applications of nanotechnology have been presented along with various approaches to overcome these limitations. The present review encompasses all the important research available in this field from 2000 to 2020.