Janus Nanoparticles: Recent Advances in Their Interfacial and Biomedical Applications

In this contribution, a spotlight is given to Janus nanoparticles, which offer a promising future for interfacial applications, such as catalysis, and different biomedical purposes ranging from drug delivery to tissue regeneration. Here, we briefly describe different chemical strategies to design Janus particles with targeted functionalization and physicochemical attributes. A special focus is given on the interfacial activity of Janus nanoparticles, which helps to use them for emulsion stabilization, catalysis, compatibilizer, etc. As the Janus nanoparticles have different chemical functionality on different sides, they can be used for loading multiple drugs and drugs in combination with contrast agents. This makes them suitable for drug delivery and cell imaging. Additionally, we review recent developments in using Janus architecture for tissue regeneration. We also pay special attention to a much overlooked aspect of understanding the interaction of Janus particles, having surface anisotropy with the biological environment, which in turn can be used to adjust the responses as desired. Finally, we discuss different milestones that need to be mastered in order to achieve their desired fate.