Issue 11, 2016

Functionalization of metal nanoclusters for biomedical applications

Abstract

Metal nanoclusters (NCs) are emerging as a new class of functional nanomaterials in the area of biological sensing, labelling, imaging and therapy due to their unique physical and chemical properties, such as ultrasmall size, HOMO–LUMO transition, strong luminescence together with good photostability and biocompatibility. A recent surge of interest in this field is the surface functionalization of these metal NCs through which one can tailor their physicochemical properties, such as stability in solution, and strong luminescence, as well as their biodistribution and toxicity in biological systems, which in turn can empower these functionalized NCs with desirable targeting, imaging, and therapeutic ability for biomedical applications. In this review, we first introduce the functionalization strategies for the metal NCs developed in the past few years, followed by highlighting some biomedical applications of these functionalized metal NCs. We then discuss the difference of in vitro and in vivo fate as well as toxicity between various functionalized metal NCs. Finally, we present a short discussion on the current challenges and provide an outlook of the future developments of these functional metal NCs.

Graphical abstract: Functionalization of metal nanoclusters for biomedical applications

Article information

Article type
Critical Review
Submitted
02 apr 2016
Accepted
20 apr 2016
First published
21 apr 2016
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Analyst, 2016,141, 3126-3140

Functionalization of metal nanoclusters for biomedical applications

X. Song, N. Goswami, H. Yang and J. Xie, Analyst, 2016, 141, 3126 DOI: 10.1039/C6AN00773B

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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