Carbon Nanomaterials for Bioimaging, Bioanalysis, and Therapy
by Yuen Y. Hui, Huang-Cheng Chang, Haifeng Dong, Xueji Zhang
5 Carbon Nanomaterials for Deep‐Tissue Imaging in the NIR Spectral Window
Stefania Lettieri 1 and Silvia Giordani 2,3
Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Nano Carbon Materials, Turin, Italy
Department of Chemistry, University of Turin, Italy
School of Chemical Sciences, Dublin City University, Ireland
5.1 Introduction
Optical imaging for diagnostic and therapeutic applications is widely diffused, as a noninvasive technique, which involves the use of visible and infrared (IR) light decreasing the exposure of the patient to harmful radiation [1]. Optical imaging can be applied for a live study event at a molecular level and as diagnostic tool for the prevention and treatment of cancer and other diseases [2]. Above all, near infrared fluorescent imaging has gained increasing attention due to the importance of noninvasive whole animal and deep‐tissue imaging. Neuroscientists are also interested in imaging deep inside the brain. Near‐infrared (NIR) light (700–2500 nm) is a transparent light, which can deeply penetrate biological tissues such as skin and blood efficiently compared to visible light. In this spectrum region, the tissue exhibits minimal absorbance and deeper penetration and the scattering is reduced, producing high‐quality images deep in the tissue. Moreover, the damage to the soft tissue is reduced due to the highly transparency of light. In this chapter we will focus on the use of carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) for NIR imaging, highlighting the peculiar ...