Organic-inorganic nanohybrids for fluorescence, photoacoustic and Raman bioimaging

Organic-inorganic nanohybrid materials represent a wide range of nanoscaled synthetic materials consisting of both organic and inorganic components that are linked together by covalent or non-covalent interactions, which have been widely employed in various fields such as optoelectronics, catalysis and biomedicine. As a result of this special combination, nanohybrid materials assemble numerous extraordinary features that provide great opportunities to improve their stability, multifunctions, biocompatibility, eco-friendliness and other physical and mechanical properties. This review highlights recent research developments of functional organic-inorganic nanohybrid materials and their specific applications in bioimaging including fluorescent, Raman, photoacoustic and combined bioimaging. Future research directions and perspectives in this rapidly developing field are also discussed.