Biomedical applications of the graphene-based materials

Graphene, a rapidly rising star, has gained extensive research interests lately due to its excellent properties such as the exceptional optical, electrical, thermal and mechanical features which are superior to other materials, so it is called two-dimensional magical materials. This article presents diverse types and various properties of graphene-based materials, and the current methods for the surface modifications of the graphene-based materials are briefly described. In addition, the in vivo and in vitro cytotoxicity of graphene-based materials are comprehensively discussed. What's more, a summary of its biomedical applications such as drug/gene delivery, photothermal therapy, photodynamic therapy and multimodality therapy is also offered. Finally, an outlook of the graphene-based materials and the challenges in this field are briefly discussed. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.