Metallurgy

Materials science

Carbon nanotube

Biomedicine

Nanotechnology

Bioinformatics

Biology

Carbon fibers

Drug delivery

Composite number

Composite material

Biocompatibility

ACS Nano

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have become potential candidates for a wide range of medical applications including sensing, imaging, and drug delivery. Their photophysical properties (i.e., the capacity to emit in the near-infrared), excellent photostability, and fluorescence, which is highly sensitive to the local environment, make SWCNTs promising optical probes in biomedicine. In this Perspective, we discuss the existing strategies for and challenges of using carbon nanotubes for medical diagnosis based on intracellular sensing as well as discuss also their biocompatibility and degradability. Finally, we highlight the potential improvements of this nanotechnology and future directions in the field of carbon nanotubes for biomedical applications.

Carbon Nanotubes as Optical Sensors in Biomedicine