Recent Progress and Perspective of an Evolving Carbon Family From 0D to 3D: Synthesis, Biomedical Applications, and Potential Challenges

A varietyof imaging techniques are available for detecting biologicalprocesses with sufficient penetration depth and temporal resolution.However, inflammation, cardiovascular, and cancer-related disordersmight be difficult to diagnose with typical bioimaging methods becauseof the lack of resolution in the imaging of deep tissues. Therefore,nanomaterials are the most promising candidate to overcome this hurdle.This review is on the utilization of carbon-based nanomaterials (CNMs),ranging from zero-dimension (0D) to three-dimension (3D), in the developmentof fluorescence (FL) imaging, photoacoustic imaging (PAI), and biosensingfor the early detection of cancer. Nanoengineered CNMs, such as graphene,carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and functional carbon quantum dots (QDs),are being further studied for multimodal biometrics and targeted therapy.CNMs have many advantages over conventional dyes in FL sensing andimaging, including clear emission spectra, long photostability, lowcost, and high FL intensity. Nanoprobe production, mechanical illustrations,and diagnostic therapeutic applications are the key areas of focus.The bioimaging technique has facilitated a greater understanding ofthe biochemical events underlying multiple disease etiologies, consequentlyfacilitating disease diagnosis, evaluation of therapeutic efficacy,and drug development. This review may lead to the development of interdisciplinaryresearch in bioimaging and sensing as well as possible future concernsfor researchers and medical physicians.