Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is one of the most important technologies of modern molecular biology; there are still many problems in PCR that cannot be overcome. It is significant to study the ways of optimizing the PCR amplification. Owing to several limitations in conventional ways, PCR amplification still turns out not so satisfactory. With the development of nanotechnology, the advantages of nanomaterials have attracted more attention. The superficial and dimensional properties of nanomaterials have special effects on the structure and function of biological macromolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids. Therefore, it possesses very important academic and applied meanings to study the ways and technologies of optimizing PCR based on nanomaterials. In this review, the recent researches of nanomaterials based on PCR, with 41 references, are summarized, particularly the developing trends and prospects in the future.