Gold nanocomposites for biomedical applications

Abstract The attention of researchers has recently been focused on gold nanoparticle-based composites due to their beneficial effects from the perspective of biomedical applications, including diagnostics (medical imaging and biosensing), targeting, therapeutics, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine. The mechanical, structural, and stability enhancing or changing effect, multiple modalities (drug/gene/imaging, targeting or other significant molecule-carrying features, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancerogenic activities, photothermal, antifouling, electrical conductance increasing effects, etc.), and in vitro/in vivo biocompatibility of gold nanoparticles reported so far make gold-based nanocomposites promising candidates for the aforementioned biomedical applications. This chapter begins with the synthesis methods of AuNPs followed by their preparation and characterization and then continues with the biocompatibility and antimicrobial activity of different types of gold nanocomposites. The chapter ends with the concluding remarks in which research challenges and future trends are discussed.