Table 1. A table summarising the different types of nanoparticles with focus on material used, cargo attachment, and their various advantages & disadvantages.

Nanoparticle	Material(s)	Cargo attachment	Advantages	Disadvantages
Liposomes	Self-assembling lipid bilayer	Encapsulated within the hydrophilic core	Easily synthesised, biocompatible, high internal loading	Highly sensitive to structural changes and nature of payload
Polymeric micelles	Hydrophobic polymer core surrounded by hydrophilic polymeric chains	Encapsulated within the hydrophobic core	Small, biocompatible, able to incorporate highly hydrophobic cargo	Highly sensitive to structural changes, poor release profiles
Polymeric nanospheres/nanocapsules	Solid hydrophobic polymer matrix with optional aqueous core (nanocapsule)	Embedded in the polymer matrix or within the core	High loading capacity, flexible loading capabilities, reliable release profiles	Difficult to purify and poor store properties
Dendrimers	Highly branched polymer matrix	Embedded in the polymer branches	Highly soluble, non-immunogenic, high loading capacity, controlled synthesis	Lacking data on toxicity and biocompatibility
Iron oxide nanoparticles	Iron oxide core surrounded by biocompatible coating	Attached to the surface/surface coating	Innate magnetic properties	No internal loading capacity
Gold nanoparticles	Solid gold particles typically coated with PEG chains	Attached to the surface/surface coating	Innate optical and photothermal properties	No internal loading capacity, poor biocompatibility and biodegradability
Mesoporous silica nanoparticles	Mesopores surrounded by a silica framework	Encapsulated within the mesopores	High loading capacity, good biodegradability	Issues with physiological stability, rapid clearance rates
Carbon nanoparticles	Graphite arranged in either a sheet or cylindrical conformation	Attached to the carbon backbone	Innate optical and electrical properties, high surface loading capacities	Poor biodegradability, organ accumulation
Quantum dots	Typically a cadmium selenide core with a zinc selenide cap	Attached to the surface/surface coating	Innate optical properties, high extinction coefficients	No internal loading capacity, potential toxicity issues