Engineered Noble-Metal Nanostructures for in Vitro Diagnostics

The unique properties of engineered noble metal nanostructures make them versatile and robust signal transducers for in vitro diagnostics (IVDs). Particularly, thanks to the increased mechanistic understanding of fundamental nanoresearch and the rapid advancement of high-performance analytical tools, it is now feasible to tightly tune the physical and chemical parameters (including size, shape, elemental composition, and internal structure) of a noble-metal nanostructure at atomic precision. Through careful control over these parameters, one can optimize the physicochemical properties of a metal nanostructure and thereby enhance its performance in IVDs. In this article, we introduce recently developed methodologies for effectively engineering noble metal nanostructures with desired properties, discuss the superior performance of the engineered nanostructures in various IVD platforms, and provide insights into materials design, synthesis, and application in IVDs. We hope this article will serve as a useful foundation to inspire future research in this emerging niche field.