Research / Nanomaterial Design

Nanomaterial Design

Making porous silicon nanoneedles, nanowires and particles, and biodegradable devices for regenerative medicine.

We design and fabricate nanostructured silicon, from porous silicon nanoneedles and nanowires to nanoparticles, and tune their size, shape, porosity and degradation for biological use.

Porous silicon nanoneedles are biodegradable: they deliver their cargo and then dissolve. Our 2015 Nature Materials study showed that they could deliver nucleic acids into tissue and induce localised formation of new blood vessels. We have since integrated nanoneedles into medical devices for nucleic acid nanoinjection (ACS Nano, 2024).

We also engineer porous silicon for regenerative medicine. Lithiated porous silicon nanowires release lithium and silicic acid in a controlled way and stimulated periodontal regeneration (Nature Communications, 2024).

Blue-tinted electron micrograph of a field of sharp nanoneedles.

Recent publications

Mechanical insights into regulation of bio–nano interactions for lipid-based nanocarriers

Yang F, Wang Y, Lu Y, Lin L, Wang Y, Sun X, Liu M, Chiappini C, Wang Y-F, Liang X-J

Discover Nano · 2026 · vol. 21, no. 1 · Open access version

Porous Silicon Nanoneedles Efficiently Deliver Adenine Base Editor to Correct a Recurrent Pathogenic COL7A1 Variant in Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa

Mustfa SA, Dimitrievska M, Wang C, Gu C, Sun N, Romańczuk K, Karpinski P, Łaczmański Ł, McGrath JA, Jacków-Malinowska J, Chiappini C

Advanced Materials · 2025 · vol. 37, pp. e2414728

Spatially-Resolved Organoid Transfection by Porous Silicon-Mediated Optoporation

Spiteri C, Caprettini V, Wang Y, Dominguez-Gil S, Kaasalainen M, Wang C, Martella DA, McLennan S, Vashisth P, Gary-Bobo M, Nguyen C, …, Chiappini C

Advanced Materials · 2024 · vol. 36, no. 49, pp. 2407650 · Open access version

Integrating Porous Silicon Nanoneedles within Medical Devices for Nucleic Acid Nanoinjection

Wang C, Gu C, Popp C, Vashisth P, Mustfa SA, Martella DA, Spiteri C, McLennan S, Sun N, Riddle M, Eide CR, …, Chiappini C

ACS Nano · 2024 · vol. 18, no. 23, pp. 14938–14953

Two-Photon Light Trigger siRNA Transfection of Cancer Cells Using Non-Toxic Porous Silicon Nanoparticles

Chaix A, Cueto-Diaz E, Dominguez-Gil S, Spiteri C, Lichon L, Maynadier M, Dumail X, Aggad D, Delalande A, Bessière A, Pichon C, …, Cunin F

Advanced Healthcare Materials · 2023 · vol. 12, no. 27, pp. 2301052 · Open access version

Lithiated porous silicon nanowires stimulate periodontal regeneration

Kaasalainen M, Zhang R, Vashisth P, Birjandi AA, S’Ari M, Martella DA, Isaacs M, Mäkilä E, Wang C, Moldenhauer E, Clarke P, …, Chiappini C

Nature Communications · 2024 · vol. 15, no. 1 · Open access version

Porous silicon microneedles and nanoneedles for biomedical applications

Chiappini C

Book chapterElsevier eBooks · 2021 · pp. 545–570

Nanomedicine Approaches to Negotiate Local Biobarriers for Topical Drug Delivery

Mustfa SA, Maurizi E, McGrath JA, Chiappini C

Advanced Therapeutics · 2021 · vol. 4, no. 1

All Nanomaterial Design publications