Papers dealing with chemical modification of the surface of noble metal nanoparticles and their use in analytical and bioanalytical chemistry, pharmacology, etc., are analyzed. Grafting of a layer of preset chemical composition on the nanoparticle surface allows preparation of functional materials combining the properties of the metal core (surface plasmon resonance, enhancement of fluorescence and nonelastic scattering) and shell (selective interaction with components of the surrounding medium). Combination of these properties opens wide prospects for using the modified nanoparticles in various branches of science and engineering, primary in chemical and biochemical analysis, and also in pharmacology.