Nanosponges - a completely new nano-horizon: pharmaceutical applications and recent advances.

In recent years, nanosponges (NS) have gained tremendous impetus in drug delivery through nanotechnology. Nanosponges are capable of providing solutions for several formulation related problems. Through this review, scientists working in the field of nanotechnology can have an insight into the techniques of preparation, characterization and applications of NS. Owing to their small size and porous nature they can bind poorly-soluble drugs within their matrix and improve their bioavailability. They can be crafted for targeting drugs to specific sites, prevent drug and protein degradation and prolong drug release in a controlled manner. This review attempts to elaborate different schemes of synthesis of NS and their characterization. Factors affecting drug loading and release have been enumerated. Due to their advantages, NS have not only been explored for their pharmaceutical applications but also have large popularity in allied sciences, especially in water purification.