Noble metal (e.g., Au, Ag, Pt, Pd, and their alloys) nanoclusters (NCs) have emerged as a new type of functional nanomaterial in nanoscience and nanotechnology. Owing to their unique properties, such as their ultrasmall dimension, enhanced photoluminescence, low toxicity, and excellent biocompatibility, noble metal NCs—especially Au and Ag NCs—have found various applications in biomedical regimes. This review summarizes the recent advances made in employing ultrasmall Au and Ag NCs for biomedical applications, with particular emphasis on bioimaging and biosensing, anti-microbial applications, and tumor targeting and cancer treatment. Challenges, including the shared and specific challenges for Au and Ag NC toward biomedical applications, and future directions are briefly discussed at the end.

中文翻译：

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用于生物医学应用的超小型金和银纳米团簇：综述


贵金属（如Au、Ag、Pt、Pd及其合金）纳米团簇（NCs）已成为纳米科学和纳米技术领域的一种新型功能纳米材料。由于其独特的性质，如超小尺寸、增强的光致发光、低毒性和优异的生物相容性，贵金属NCs——尤其是Au和Ag NCs——在生物医学领域有着多种应用。本综述总结了超小型金和银纳米颗粒在生物医学应用方面取得的最新进展，特别强调生物成像和生物传感、抗菌应用以及肿瘤靶向和癌症治疗。最后简要讨论了挑战，包括 Au 和 Ag NC 在生物医学应用方面面临的共同挑战和具体挑战，以及未来的方向。