Inorganic hollow nanoparticles and nanotubes in nanomedicine. Part 2: Imaging, diagnostic, and therapeutic applications

Inorganic nanoparticles, such as carbon nanotubes, quantum dots and gold nanoshells, have been adopted for biomedical use, due to their unique optical and physical properties. Compared to conventional materials, inorganic nanomaterials have several advantages such as simple preparative processes and precise control over their shape, composition and size. In addition, inorganic porous nanomaterials are fundamentally advantageous for developing multifunctional nanomaterials, due to their distinctive inner and outer surfaces. In this review, we describe recent developments of hollow and porous inorganic nanomaterials in nanomedicine, especially for imaging/diagnosis and photothermal therapy.