Emerging Carbon-Based Nanomaterials for Biomedical and Bioengineering Applications

Nanomaterials are emerging candidates for biomedical and bioengineering applications. Among them, carbon-based nanomaterials have the potential to revolutionize current biomedical sciences. Advances in nanotechnology and a better understanding of the cellular microenvironment have contributed to advanced functional nanomaterials that may bring new hope to solve the unsolved problem. Several low-dimension carbon-based nanomaterials have shown promising preclinical results. Notably, the one-dimensional (1D) carbon dots (CDs), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and the two-dimensional (2D) graphene oxide (GO) and its derivatives are considered to be up-and-coming candidates. The unique properties of carbon-based nanomaterials, including surface-area-to-volume ratio, chemical inertness, biocompatibility, and low cytotoxicity, make them well-suited for the following applications: (a) tissue engineering and regenerative nanomedicine, (b) implant and medical device, and (c) drug delivery system, diagnosis, and therapy. Recent studies have shown that CDs, CNT, and GO are potential applicants in biomedical sciences, both as nanocarriers and nanotransducers. This chapter is divided into three sections covering the most commonly used carbon-based nanomaterials in biomedical and bioengineering applications. The sections are (1) Carbon Dots (CDs), (2) Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs), and (3) Graphene Oxide (GO).