The Challenge to Relate the Physicochemical Properties of Colloidal Nanoparticles to Their Cytotoxicity

Nanomaterials offer opportunities to construct novel compounds for many different fields. Applications include devices for energy, including solar cells, batteries, and fuel cells, and for health, including contrast agents and mediators for photodynamic therapy and hyperthermia. Despite these promising applications, any new class of materials also bears a potential risk for human health and the environment. The advantages and innovations of these materials must be thoroughly compared against risks to evaluate each new nanomaterial. Although nanomaterials are often used intentionally, they can also be released unintentionally either inside the human body, through wearing of a prosthesis or the inhalation of fumes, or into the environment, through mechanical wear or chemical powder waste. This possibility adds to the importance of understanding potential risks from these materials.