Gold nanomaterials as key suppliers in biological and chemical sensing, catalysis, and medicine

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with unique physicochemical properties have received a great deal of interest in the field of biological, chemical and biomedical implementations. Despite the widespread use of AuNPs in chemical and biological sensing, catalysis, imaging and diagnosis, and more recently in therapy, no comprehensive summary has been provided to explain how AuNPs could aid in developing improved sensing and catalysts systems as well as medical settings. The chemistry of Au-based nanosystems was followed by reviewing different applications of Au nanomaterials in biological and chemical sensing, catalysis, imaging and diagnosis by a number of approaches, and finally synergistic combination therapy of different cancers. Afterwards, the clinical impacts of AuNPs, future application of AuNPs, and opportunities and challenges of AuNPs application were also discussed. AuNPs show exclusive colloidal stability and are considered as ideal candidates for colorimetric detection, catalysis, imaging, and photothermal transducers, because their physicochemical properties can be tuned by adjusting their structural dimensions achieved by the different manufacturing methods. This review provides some details about using AuNPs in sensing and catalysis applications as well as promising theranostic nanoplatforms for cancer imaging and diagnosis, and sensitive, non-invasive, and synergistic methods for cancer treatment in an almost comprehensive manner. •We listed different applications of AuNPs as biological and chemical sensing, catalysis, imaging and diagnosis by various techniques.•Moreover, we tried to cover all aspects of Au nanosystems (AuNPs, AuNRs, AuNC, and Au nanoshells) in cancer therapeutics.•Finally, the clinical impact of AuNPs, future application of AuNPs, and opportunities and challenges of AuNPs application were also discussed.