Noble-Metal Nanocrystals: From Synthesis to Biomedical Applications

Perspective Noble-Metal Nanocrystals: From Synthesis to Biomedical Applications Yidan Chen 1, Emily Yan 2, and Younan Xia 2,* 1 School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA 2 Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA * Correspondence: younan.xia@bme.gatech.edu Received: 24 February 2025; Accepted: 26 February 2025; Published: 28 February 2025 Abstract: Noble metals hold promises for a variety of biomedical applications due to their unique physical and biochemical properties. To unlock this potential, a significant amount of research has been dedicated to the controlled synthesis of noble-metal nanocrystals over the past two decades, with a particular emphasis on the production of Au and Ag nanocrystals with diverse and well-controlled shapes. The successful synthesis of noble-metal nanocrystals with tunable sizes, shapes, and morphologies allows researchers to explore their use in a range of biomedical applications, including contrast enhancement for an array of bioimaging modalities, facilitating stimuli-responsive drug delivery, and functioning as antimicrobial or anticancer agents.