Organic/inorganic
nanohybrids have attracted widespread interests
due to their favorable properties and promising applications in biomedical
areas. Great efforts have been made to design and fabricate versatile
nanohybrids. Among different organic components, diverse polymers
offer unique avenues for multifunctional systems with collective properties.
This review focuses on the design, properties, and biomedical applications
of organic/inorganic nanohybrids fabricated from inorganic nanoparticles
and polymers. We begin with a brief introduction to a variety of strategies
for the fabrication of functional organic/inorganic nanohybrids. Then
the properties and functions of nanohybrids are discussed, including
properties from organic and inorganic parts, synergistic properties,
morphology-dependent properties, and self-assembly of nanohybrids.
After that, current situations of nanohybrids applied for imaging,
therapy, and imaging-guided therapy are demonstrated. Finally, we
discuss the prospect of organic/inorganic nanohybrids and highlight
the challenges and opportunities for the future investigations.
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