Fluorescent inorganic nanoparticles for bioimaging and therapeutic applications

Scientific innovations in nanotechnology have opened up new paths for advancements in biomedicine. Recently fluorescent inorganic nanoparticles (FINPs) have attracted intense research orientation for bioimaging and therapeutic applications. It is attributed to their easy synthesis, high stability, biocompatibility, low toxicity, and exceptional intrinsic optical properties along with efficient half-life in blood circulation and targeted delivery. This review gives an overview of diverse FINPs, that is, quantum dots, upconversion nanoparticles, and metal nanoparticles being employed in bioimaging and therapy. The different design parameters including resolution, sensitivity, penetration, and multimodal imaging have been discussed for FINPs in bioimaging. On the other hand, targeted delivery, blood circulation time, tumor killing efficiency, clearance from body, and toxicity have been conferred in the case of FINPs mediated in vivo and in vitro therapeutic applications. Overall, the developments made so far along with future trends regarding use of FINPs and their composites in bioimaging and therapy have been gathered in this review.