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Scheme 1. Hexapod particles with increased vertical orientation probability promote macrophage phagocytosis. A) Contact mode of elongated particles and cells. B) 3D model of a single hexapod NP with a Fe 2 O 3 @SiO 2 core and six silica pods (Fe 2 O 3 and SiO 2 are in blue and red colors, respectively). C) 3D model of a single monopod NP with a Fe 2 O 3 @SiO 2 core and a silica pod. D) Contact mode probability of I-III) monopod or IV,V) hexapod NPs. E) Compared with monopod NPs, hexapod NPs can effectively activate cell phagocytosis and promote cell uptake.

Enzymes play an indispensable role in biosystems, catalyzing a variety of chemical and biochemical reactions with exceptionally high efficiency and selectivity. These features render them uniquely positioned in developing novel catalytic systems and therapeutics. However, their practical application is largely hindered by the vulnerability, low reusability and the inability to overcome the biological barriers of enzymes. Silica‐based nanoparticles (SNPs) are a classic family of nanomaterials with tunable physicochemical properties, making them ideal candidates to address the intrinsic shortcomings of natural enzymes. SNPs not only improve the activity and durability of enzymes, but also provide precise spatiotemporal control over their intracellular as well as systemic biodistributions for boosting the catalytic outcome. Herein, the recent progress in SNPs for enzyme immobilization and delivery is summarized. The therapeutic applications, including cancer therapy and bacterial inhibition, are particularly highlighted. Our perspectives in this field, including current challenges and possible future research directions are also provided.

Because of their excellent physical properties, mesoporous nanoparticles have been widely studied, especially in the aspect of surface functionalization, which has had a profound impact in many fields of scientific research. Dendrimers, as a kind of three-dimensional macromolecules, also have been widely concerned and studied on account of their unique structural properties. Combining dendrimers with mesoporous nanoparticles can fabricate novel hybrid nanomaterials that possess the advantages of both dendrimers and mesoporous nanoparticles, which may meet the need of the increasing application demands in many fields. This review mainly introduces some of the extensive applications of dendrimers and mesoporous nanoparticles combined in recent years, and briefly summarizes their synthesis methods.

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