Controllable synthesis and biomedical applications of silver nanomaterials

Silver nanomaterials have lots of peculiar and exciting physical and chemical properties that are different from massive silver, so the synthesis and applications of silver nanomaterials have attracted a great deal of attention in the last decade. Currently, all kinds of silver nanomaterials having different shapes and sizes have been synthesized by many ingenious methods, and silver nanomaterials have exhibited extensive application prospects in many fields especially in biomedical aspect. In this article, the controllable synthesis of silver nanomaterials including nanorods, nanowires, nanotubes, nanoprisms, nanoplates, nanodisks, nanospheres, and nanopolyhedrons, etc. are reviewed. Silver nanomaterials are most utilized in the form of nanoparticles, so the main biomedical applications of silver nanoparticles, such as antibacterial and antiviral applications, antitumor applications, biosensors and biological labels, optical imaging and imaging intensifier, are discussed. Although antibacterial applications are still the most important aspects of silver nanomaterials at present, antitumor, optical sensors and imaging applications of silver nanomaterials have also shown good potential perspectives. More biomedical applications of silver nanomaterials still need to be exploited for the future, and the biological safety of silver nanomaterials also should be paid enough attention before their practical applications.