Design and synthesis strategies of carbon nanospheres and their biomedical applications

Qi Zhang; Longgang Wang; Ruyu Li; Haiyan Xiao; Yanshuai Cui; Xihong Guo

doi:10.1016/j.colsurfb.2025.114911

Design and synthesis strategies of carbon nanospheres and their biomedical applications

Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces. 2025 Jun 25:255:114911. doi: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2025.114911. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Qi Zhang¹, Longgang Wang², Ruyu Li², Haiyan Xiao³, Yanshuai Cui⁴, Xihong Guo⁵

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Nano-biotechnology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China; CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Nano-biotechnology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Nano-biotechnology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China. Electronic address: xiaohaiyan@ysu.edu.cn.
⁴ Hebei University of Environmental Engineering, Qinhuangdao 066102, China. Electronic address: cuiyanshuai@hebuee.edu.cn.
⁵ CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China. Electronic address: guoxh@ihep.ac.cn.

PMID: 40580769
DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2025.114911

Abstract

Carbon nanospheres (CNSs), featuring unique nanostructures and remarkable physicochemical properties, offer significant advantages such as high surface-to-volume ratio and tunable surface chemistry. They have generated extensive research interest in various fields, and great progress has been made in recent years. This review summarizes the main synthesis and design strategies for the preparation and functionalization of carbon nanospheres. These strategies include the controllable synthesis of carbon nanospheres with different structures and morphologies, surface modification with nanomaterials, functional groups, polymers, and functional molecules, as well as heteroatom doping with nitrogen and multi-heteroatoms. Then, the applications of carbon nanospheres in the biological field are reviewed, mainly focusing on bioimaging, drug delivery and therapy. Finally, some prospects for the future research and development of CNSs are proposed.

Keywords: Biomedical applications; Carbon nanospheres; Design; Synthesis.

Publication types

Review