Black phosphorus in neurological disorders: Current therapeutic applications, mechanisms, and future prospects

Neurological disorders represent a major global health burden, serving as one of the leading causes of disability and the second leading cause of mortality worldwide. In recent years, the field of nanomedicine has witnessed significant advancements, with researchers and pharmaceutical developers increasingly exploring novel nanotechnologies to enhance diagnostic precision and therapeutic efficacy for neurological conditions. Among these emerging nanomaterials, black phosphorus (BP) has attracted considerable attention due to its unique properties, including excellent electrical conductivity, high specific surface area, favorable biocompatibility with simple metabolic byproducts, and low toxicity. These characteristics endow BP with remarkable potential for both diagnostic and therapeutic applications in various neurological disorders, particularly Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), brain tumors, and stroke. This review first systematically summarizes recent research progress in neurological diseases, then provides a comprehensive analysis of BP's metabolic pathways in vivo, with special emphasis on its distribution and behavior in brain tissue. Furthermore, the review critically evaluates current applications of BP-based nanoplatforms in neurological disease treatment. The primary objective of this review is to offer valuable insights and propose future directions for research and clinical translation of BP-based nanotechnology in neurology.