ABSTRACT
The current progress in nanotechnology based on inorganic and organic materials has led naturally to a search for connections between these things and biology, thus creating one of the hottest areas of science and technology. Nanoparticles provide a versatile tool for the interaction of biological and chemical materials systems. These hybrid organic-inorganic materials feature a metallic or semiconductor core surrounded by a shell with organic and/or biomolecular ligands. Materials used for the core include metals (e.g., Au, Ag, Co, Pt, FePt), semiconductors(e.g. CdSe, CdS, InP, PbSe, ZnSe), and core/shell nanoparticles (e.g., CdSe/ZnS, FePt/Fe02O3) [Burda et al. (2005)] (see Chapter 1).
