1D	One-dimensional
2D	Two-dimensional
3D	Three-dimensional
APTES	Aminopropyltriethoxysilane
AuNF	Gold nanoflower
bcc	Body centered cubic
BSA	Bovine serum albumin
BSPP	Bis(p-sulfonatophenyl) phenylphosphine dihydrate dipotassium
BT	Benzenethiol
ccp	Cubic close packing
CNT	Carbon nanotube
CTAB	Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide
DDA	Discrete dipole approximation
DDAB	Didodecyldimethylammonium bromide
DMF	N,N-dimethylformamide
DMSA	Dimercaptosuccinic acid
DPPTE	1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3- phosphothioethanol
EB	Trans-2,2′-ethylene 4, 4′-bipyridyl
EDAX	Energy dispersive analysis of X-rays
EGFR	Epidermal growth factor receptor
EQEs	External quantum efficiency
fcc	Face-centered cubic
FESEM	Field-emission scanning electron microscopy
FF	Fill factor
GISAX	Grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering
GNR	Gold nanorod
GOx	Glucose oxidase
hcp	Hexagonal close packing
HDT	Hexadecanethiol
HEPES	4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid
HF	Hydrofluoric acid
HPA	Hexylphosphonic acid
HRTEM	High-resolution transmission electron microscopy
HOPG	Highly oriented pyrolytic graphite
Ig	Immunoglobulin
ITO	Indium tin oxide
LB	Langmuir-Blodgett
LSP	Longitudinal surface plasmon
LSPR	Localized surface plasmon resonance
MCC	Monolayer colloidal crystals
MDA	Mercaptodecanoic acid
MF	Mesoflower
MHA	Mercaptohexadecanoic acid
MPS	Mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane
MPTMS	Mercaptopropyltri-methoxysilane
MUA	11-mercaptoundecanoic acid
MWNT	Multi-walled carbon nanotube
ND	Nanodot
NDBs	Nanodumbbells
NIR	Near-infrared
NLO	Non-linear optical
ncp	Non-close-packed
NW	Nanowire
ODPA	Octadecylphosphonic acid
OCT	Optical coherence tomography
ODS	Octadecyltrimethoxysilane
ODT	Octadecanethiol
PAM	Polyacrylamide
PAMAM	Polyamidoamine
PCE	Power conversion efficiency
PDDA	Poly-(diallyldimethylammonium) chloride
PEG	Poly(ethylene glycol)
PNIPAm	Poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide)
ppt	Parts-per-trillion
PS	Polystyrene
PSS	Polystyrene sulfonate
PVP	Poly(vinylpyrrolidone)
SAED	Selected area electron diffraction
SAM	Self-assembled monolayer
SAXS	Small angle X-ray scattering
SCs	Supercrystals
SEM	Scanning electron microscopy
SERS	Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy
SLs	Side ligands
SPR	Surface plasmon resonance
STEM	Scanning transmission electron
TA	Thioctic acid
TAA	Thioacetamide
TDPA	Tetradecylphosphonic acid
TEM	Transmission electron microscopy
TLs	Tip ligands
TOP	Tri-n-octylphosphine
TPL	Two-photon luminescence
TSP	Transverse surface plasmon
WHO	World health organization