Exploiting Benefits of Vaterite Metastability to Design Degradable Systems for Biomedical Applications

Abstract

The widespread application of calcium carbonate is determined by its high availability in nature and simplicity of synthesis in laboratory conditions. Moreover, calcium carbonate possesses highly attractive physicochemical properties that make it suitable for a wide range of biomedical applications. This review provides a conclusive analysis of the results on using the tunable vaterite metastability in the development of biodegradable drug delivery systems and therapeutic vehicles with a controlled and sustained release of the incorporated cargo. This manuscript highlights the nuances of vaterite recrystallization to non-porous calcite, dissolution at acidic pH, biodegradation at in vivo conditions and control over these processes. This review outlines the main benefits of vaterite instability for the controlled liberation of the encapsulated molecules for the development of biodegradable natural and synthetic polymeric materials for biomedical purposes.

Keywords

• calcium carbonate
• CaCO₃ particles
• vaterite
• metastability
• recrystallization
• calcite