Self-assembly is a prominent phenomenon observed in nature. Inspired by this thermodynamically favorable approach, several natural and synthetic materials have been investigated to develop functional systems for various biomedical applications, including drug delivery. Furthermore, layered self-assembled systems provide added advantages of tunability and multifunctionality which are crucial for controlled and targeted drug release. Layer-by-layer (LbL) deposition has emerged as one of the most popular, well-established techniques for tailoring such layered self-assemblies. This review aims to provide a brief overview of drug delivery applications using LbL deposition, along with a discussion of associated scalability challenges, technological innovations to overcome them, and prospects for commercial translation of this versatile technique. Additionally, alternative self-assembly techniques such as metal-phenolic networks (MPNs) and Liesegang rings are also reviewed in the context of their recent utilization for controlled drug delivery. Blending the sophistication of these self-assembly phenomena with material science and technological advances can provide a powerful tool to develop smart drug carriers in a scalable manner.

自组装是自然界中观察到的一种突出现象。受这种热力学有利方法的启发，人们对几种天然和合成材料进行了研究，以开发用于各种生物医学应用（包括药物输送）的功能系统。此外，分层自组装系统还提供了可调节性和多功能性的额外优势，这对于受控和靶向药物释放至关重要。逐层（LbL）沉积已成为定制此类分层自组装的最流行、最成熟的技术之一。本综述旨在简要概述使用 LbL 沉积的药物输送应用，并讨论相关的可扩展性挑战、克服这些挑战的技术创新以及这种多功能技术的商业转化前景。此外，还回顾了金属酚网络（MPN）和利泽冈环等替代自组装技术最近用于受控药物输送的情况。将这些自组装现象的复杂性与材料科学和技术进步相结合，可以为以可扩展的方式开发智能药物载体提供强大的工具。