Functionalized Silver and Gold Nanomaterials with Diagnostic and Therapeutic Applications

Abstract

The functionalization of nanomaterials with suitable capping ligands or bioactive agents is an interesting strategy in designing nanosystems with suitable applicability and biocompatibility; the physicochemical and biological properties of these nanomaterials can be highly improved for biomedical applications. In this context, numerous explorations have been conducted in the functionalization of silver (Ag) and gold (Au) nanomaterials using suitable functional groups or agents to design nanosystems with unique physicochemical properties such as excellent biosensing capabilities, biocompatibility, targeting features, and multifunctionality for biomedical purposes. Future studies should be undertaken for designing novel functionalization tactics to improve the properties of Au- and Ag-based nanosystems and reduce their toxicity. The possible release of cytotoxic radicals or ions, the internalization of nanomaterials, the alteration of cellular signaling pathways, the translocation of these nanomaterials across the cell membranes into mitochondria, DNA damages, and the damage of cell membranes are the main causes of their toxicity, which ought to be comprehensively explored. In this study, recent advancements in diagnostic and therapeutic applications of functionalized Au and Ag nanomaterials are deliberated, focusing on important challenges and future directions.

Advanced Nanosystems for Cancer Therapeutics: A Review

“…Metal and metal oxide NPs have been broadly exploited for cancer therapy, targeted drug delivery, and biological imaging due to their significant optical, photothermal, and magnetic features. − Gold (Au) NPs have been utilized as intracellular targeted drug nanocarriers because of their easy-to-control size and surface features . In addition, in view of their suitable photothermal and photoacoustic features, Au NPs can be applied for cancer therapeutics and tumor ablation after functionalization with various drugs and targeting molecules .…”

Integration of MXene and Microfluidics: A Perspective

“…Nanomaterials are precisely defined by their dimensions, typically falling within the range of 1 to 100 nm or exhibiting at least one dimension within this nanoscale range. They are frequently classified into various dimensional configurations, encompassing 0D (particles), 1D (rods), 2D (sheets), and considerably extra convoluted 3D structures. − Notably, nanomaterials, namely, silver and gold nanoparticles, have gained widespread acceptance in the advancement of transducer technologies, especially in the domain of microfluidic biosensors. A noteworthy advantage lies in their remarkable surface area-to-volume ratio., which translates to a greater number of binding sites and more robust signals. − Additionally, many nanomaterials exhibit significant electrochemical activity, further contributing to robust signal generation.…”

Chiral Carbon Dots and Chiral Carbon Dots with Circularly Polarized Luminescence: Synthesis, Mechanistic Investigation and Applications

“…Chiral substances are currently highly sought after by researchers and have attracted a great deal of attention in the fields of sensing, asymmetric catalysis and enantiomeric separation, [5][6][7][8] however, their high cost and toxicity limit their wider application. [9][10][11][12][13][14] The advent of nanotechnology has opened new avenues for the fabrication of chiral objects, and nanomaterials can provide diagnostic and therapeutic functions as well as controlled physicochemical properties, [15][16][17][18][19][20][21] making the development of a novel chiral nanomaterial of great importance. In order to further functionalize chiral nanomaterials with more excellent properties (especially optical), chiral nanomaterials can be introduced into composite functional materials.…”