Synthesis Strategies, Therapeutic Roles, and Clinical Progress of Gold Nanoparticles in Biomedical Engineering

ABSTRACT Advancements in nanotechnology have been significantly driven by the development of engineered nanoparticles, especially metallic ones like gold nanoparticles (GNPs). GNPs, particularly those in the form of spheres and nanorods, have attracted great attention in the scientific community owing to their distinct characteristics, which encompass optical, electrical, physical, and chemical features, as well as surface plasmon resonance. The aforementioned properties have the potential to be modified through the manipulation of various characteristics, elements such as dimensions, aspect ratio, form, or environmental conditions. The wide range of applications in biomedicine for GNPs is attributed to their facile synthesis and functionalization. These technologies find applications across a diverse array of fields including sensing, targeted drug administration, imaging, photothermal therapy, photodynamic therapy, and the control of many biological processes. This article presents a comprehensive description of prevalent techniques employed in the synthesis of GNPs, while emphasizing their application across diverse disciplines.