Organic Nanowires and Nanotubes for Biomedical Applications

Abstract

Organic one dimensional (1‐D) structures such as nanowires (NWs) and nanotubes (NTs), including carbon nanotubes (CNTs), have recently undergone extensive investigation for possible applications in biosensing, photothermal and/or radiofrequency ablation therapy of cancer, and bioimaging. As few data exist on this particular topic, the aim of this chapter is to encompass the state of the art of these peculiar materials, by describing the various fabrication technologies for NWs and NTs, which include self‐assembly, template synthesis, and modification of CNTs. Also described are some representative recent applications of NWs and NTs in biomedical areas, including biosensors, cancer therapy via photothermal and/or radiofrequency ablation, and optical bioimaging. Future research to solve the currently pending problems, and to broaden the application areas of NWs and NTs, are also discussed.