Representative nanocarriers that are commonly used for nanotheranostics
| Materials | Characteristics | Application | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liposomes | Amphiphilic | Nanocarriers for co-delivery of hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs | 15,16 |
| Polymers | Biocompatible and easy to modify | Drug intelligent responses, functional coating | 3,15,17 |
| Black phosphorus | Large surface-area-to-volume ratio and layer-dependent bandgap | Drug carriers, photoacoustic imaging, phototherapy, photothermal therapy | 18 |
| Mesoporous silica | Porous structure, optical performance, easy modification and protecting drugs against multi-drug resistance | Drug carriers | 2,19 |
| Iron oxide | Magnetic properties and biocompatibility | MRI imaging, hyperthermia treatment | 10 |
| Gold | SPR effect and photothermal effect | PA imaging, Raman spectroscopy imaging, radiotherapy, phototherapy | 20–22 |
| Quantum dots | Non-radiative decay, superior stability | Delivery platform, photodynamic therapy, photothermal therapy | 2,23 |
| Graphene | Strong NIR light absorption, high surface area | Carriers, NIR fluorescence probes, PA imaging, photothermal therapy | 2,5,23 |