Engineering Gold Nanostructures for Cancer Treatment: Spherical Nanoparticles, Nanorods, and Atomically Precise Nanoclusters
Wei He,
Guanyu Ma,
Quanli Shen,
Zhenghua Tang
Affiliations
Wei He
Chongqing Chemical Industry Vocational College, Chongqing 401220, China
Guanyu Ma
Guangzhou Key Laboratory for Surface Chemistry of Energy Materials, New Energy Research Institute, School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou 510006, China
Quanli Shen
Guangzhou Key Laboratory for Surface Chemistry of Energy Materials, New Energy Research Institute, School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou 510006, China
Zhenghua Tang
Guangzhou Key Laboratory for Surface Chemistry of Energy Materials, New Energy Research Institute, School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou 510006, China
Cancer is a major global health issue and is a leading cause of mortality. It has been documented that various conventional treatments can be enhanced by incorporation with nanomaterials. Thanks to their rich optical properties, excellent biocompatibility, and tunable chemical reactivities, gold nanostructures have been gaining more and more research attention for cancer treatment in recent decades. In this review, we first summarize the recent progress in employing three typical gold nanostructures, namely spherical Au nanoparticles, Au nanorods, and atomically precise Au nanoclusters, for cancer diagnostics and therapeutics. Following that, the challenges and the future perspectives of this field are discussed. Finally, a brief conclusion is summarized at the end.
