Functionalized 2D nanomaterials for gene delivery applications

During the last decade, two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials have attracted tremendous interest in many different fields, including electrochemistry, energy storage/conversion, tissue engineering and biomedicine, owing to their unique chemical and optical properties. Recently, the promising potential of 2D nanomaterials, such as carbon based 2D nanomaterials and graphene analogues (such as transition metal dichalcogenides) as gene delivery systems has been explored and applied in various cancer theranostics. In this review, we focus on the applications of the functional 2D nanomaterials for gene delivery and optical imaging in cancer therapy. The properties and structure of different configurations of 2D nanomaterials are first summarized and compared. Then, the biomedical applications of functionalized 2D nanomaterials, particularly the potential of 2D nanomaterials as multifunctional delivery platforms and optical probes in gene delivery applications are briefly discussed and presented with a view to encourage clinical translations of this research.