Surface modification of metal nanoparticles is necessary to ensure their biological compatibility, stability and selectivity. Chemical tuning of nanoparticles influences their interaction with cell surface molecules and hence their cellular uptake. Metallic nanomaterials can be functionalized to modify desirable properties such as the photothermal efficacy of gold nanoparticles or the electromagnetic behaviour of iron oxide nanoparticles. This project aims to modify nanoparticles on demand for tailoring their properties by different approaches such as layer-by-layer assembly, ligand exchange or silane conjugation.