Biomedical Applications of Carbon-Based Nanomaterials

Abstract

Carbon-based nanomaterials and their derivatives have triggered extensive research and promise to be some of the key materials in nanotechnology. Unlike other existing materials, carbon nanomaterials have found many scientific and technological applications in diverse areas. The wide range of superior properties (mechanical, electrical, optical and thermal) that are inherent in carbon nanostructures, specifically nanotubes and graphene, and the simplicity of their structures have played an important role in the current rapid expansion of fundamental studies of these materials and their potential use in nanotechnology. Based on their novel electronic and optical properties and their controllable chemical functionality, carbon nanostructures are expected to be used in several applications, including nanoelectronics and energy research, as well as biomedical areas such as biosensors, cellular imaging, drug delivery, photothermal therapy and diagnostics. Realizing the immense potential of carbon nanomaterials for applications in biology and medicine, we shall review recent advances in this field and discuss the outlook for the future. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.