In the new applications of nanoparticles being used for diagnosis or therapy, the ‘functional coating’ plays a key role. There are also many issues with implants in the body, even if they are only temporary, such as with catheters, because of bioincompatibility, infection, mechanical wear and so forth where coatings play a key part. Nanocoating materials can now be designed to mitigate against most of these risks. At a more pragmatic level, there is growing evidence that nanoparticles can be used to design surface coatings for benches, handles, keyboards and so on, with antimicrobial properties and this could have immediate application in clinics and hospitals.
