Recent Advances in the Biological Responses to Nano-black Phosphorus: Understanding the Importance of Intrinsic Properties and Cell Types

The production scalability and increasing demand fornano-blackphosphorus materials (nano-BPs) inevitably lead to their environmentalleakage, thereby raising the risk of human exposure through inhalation,ingestion, dermal, and even intravenous pathways. Consequently, asystematic evaluation of their potential impacts on human health isnecessary. This Review outlines recent progress in the understandingof various biological responses to nano-BPs. Attention is particularlygiven to the inconsistent toxicological findings caused by a widevariation of nano-BPs' physicochemical properties, toxicologicaltesting methods, and cell types examined in each study. Additionally,cellular uptake and intracellular trafficking, cell death modes, immunologicaleffects, and other biologically relevant processes are discussed indetail, providing evidence for the potential health implications ofnano-BPs. Finally, we address the remaining challenges related tothe health risk evaluation of nano-BPs and propose a broader rangeof applications for these promising nanomaterials.