Ionic liquid-based materials for biomedical applications

Abstract

Ionic liquids (ILs) have been extensively explored and implemented in different areas, ranging from sensors and actuators to the biomedical field. The increasing attention devoted to ILs centers on their unique properties and possible combination of different cations and anions, allowing the development of materials with specific functionalities and requirements for applications. Particularly for biomedical applications, ILs have been used for biomaterials preparation, improving dissolution and processability, and have been combined with natural and synthetic polymer matrixes to develop IL-polymer hybrid materials to be employed in different fields of the biomedical area. This review focus on recent advances concerning the role of ILs in the development of biomaterials and their combination with natural and synthetic polymers for different biomedical areas, including drug delivery, cancer therapy, tissue engineering, antimicrobial and antifungal agents, and biosensing. ; The authors thank the FCT (Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia) for financial support under the framework of the Strategic Funding UID/FIS/04650/2019 and pro-jects PTDC/BTM-MAT/28237/2017, PTDC/EMD-EMD/28159/2017, and PTDC/FIS-MAC/28157/2017. Funds provided by FCT in the framework of EuroNano-Med 2016 call, Project LungChek ENMed/0049/2016 are also gratefully acknowledged. D.M.C., L.C.F., R.M.M., and M.M.F. also thank the FCT for the grants SFRH/BPD/121526/2016, SFRH/BD/145345/2019, and FRH/BD/148655/2019, SFRH/BPD/121464/2016, respectively and CR thanks the FCT for the contract under the Stimulus of Scientific Employment (2020.04163.CEECIND). S.L.M. and J.R. acknowledge the funding support from the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) through the project PID2019-106099RB-C43/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and from the Basque Government Industry Department under the ELKARTEK program. ...