Chiral inorganic nanostructures for theranostics

Abstract

Inorganic chiral nanomaterials have attracted wide attention because of their superior physical properties and chiroptical activities. Great progress in chiral nanostructure preparation has been made, such as noble metals and semiconductors. In this review, we introduce several chiral nanomaterials with feasible biocompatibility and low cytotoxicity that are promising candidates for biological applications, and we focus on their preparation in terms of their circular dichroism (CD) effects and circular luminescence properties. Additionally, we summarize the working function of chiral nanostructures toward some common diseases with high prevalence, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), diabetes and even cancers. The introduction of inorganic chirality will provide a novel way to diagnose and treat these diseases.