N-Heterocyclic carbenes as “smart” gold nanoparticle stabilizers: State-of-the art and perspectives for biomedical applications

The unique properties and high synthetic flexibility of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) have made them highly attractive tools for the development new nanomaterials fundamental study their properties. In this review, we focus on case NHC-stabilized gold nanoparticles ([email protected]) with potential biological applications. AuNPs are ubiquitous in biomedicine, where they serve as versatile scaffolds drug/gene delivery, biosensing, imaging therapy. context, our review aims at presenting an overview relatively few studies reporting synthesis characterization [email protected], emphasis strategies adopted to achieve water-soluble biocompatible nanoparticles. Overall, possible combinatorial design NHC ligand shell functionality opens perspectives unexplored research area.