Conjugated Polymer Nanoparticles for Imaging, Cell Activity Regulation, and Therapy

Conjugated polymer nanoparticles, considered as a class of promising nanomaterials for biomedical application, are extensively employed in bioimaging, anti-microorganism and antitumor, gene and drug delivery/release in the past decade. By virtue of unique photoelectric properties, such as strong light absorbing quality, high brightness, good photostability, tunable spectra property, and favorable compatibility, conjugated polymer nanoparticles attract increasing attention and are used in more emerging aspects in biological and biomedical fields. This review summarizes the recent (2014-2018) development of conjugated polymer nanoparticles, including design, synthesis, and biomedical applications. Especially, their abilities of bioimaging, cell activity regulation, anti-microorganism and antitumor therapy are discussed in detail. Finally, the challenges and outlooks in the field are highlighted.