title: Single-walled carbon nanotubes as near-infrared optical biosensors for life sciences and biomedicine.
abstract: Single-walled carbon nanotubes that emit photostable near-infrared fluorescence have emerged as near-infrared optical biosensors for life sciences and biomedicine. Since the discovery of their near-infrared fluorescence, researchers have engineered single-walled carbon nanotubes to function as an optical biosensor that selectively modulates its fluorescence upon binding of target molecules. Here we review the recent advances in the single-walled carbon nanotube-based optical sensing technology for life sciences and biomedicine. We discuss the structure and optical properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes, the mechanisms for molecular recognition and signal transduction in single-walled carbon nanotube complexes, and the recent development of various single-walled carbon nanotube-based optical biosensors. We also discuss the opportunities and challenges to translate this emerging technology into biomedical research and clinical use, including the biological safety of single-walled carbon nanotubes. The advances in single-walled carbon nanotube-based near-infrared optical sensing technology open up a new avenue for in vitro and in vivo biosensing with high sensitivity and high spatial resolution, beneficial for many areas of life sciences and biomedicine.
authors: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Texas, Arlington, USA.
authors: Astha
authors: A
authors: Jain
authors: Aida
authors: A
authors: Homayoun
authors: Christopher W
authors: CW
authors: Bannister
authors: Kyungsuk
authors: K
authors: Yum
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001690:Biological Science Disciplines / Q000295:instrumentation; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000295:instrumentation; D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry*; D055095:Optics and Photonics
chemical_list: D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon
keywords: Nanobiosensors; Nanobiotechnology; Near-infrared fluorescence; Optical biosensors; Single-walled carbon nanotubes