Reactive Oxygen Species-Responsive Compounds: Properties, Design, and Applications

Reactive oxygen species (ROS), mainly including hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), singlet oxygen (1O2), superoxide anion radical (O2 •–), and hydroxyl radical (•OH), are the reduction products of oxygen. The mitochondria produce internal ROS, which are vital for cellular communication and metabolism. Excessive ROS amounts are connected to various diseases, such as cancer, atherosclerosis, diabetes, infection, inflammation, and aging, which encourages scientists to create ROS-responsive technologies to treat these diseases. In an environment with excessive amounts of ROS, ROS-responsive biomaterials undergo changes in physical properties (especially solubility) and changes in chemical bonds. Nanomaterials that respond to reactive oxygen species (ROS) have emerged as effective biomaterials; in particular, dendrimers, nanogels, and polymeric micelles have been extensively studied as efficient transporters for medicines, genes, and antigens. This chapter describes the types of ROS-responsive compounds, their structural properties, their mechanism of action, and their various biomedical applications.