Issue 3, 2012

Thermophysical and biological responses of gold nanoparticle laser heating

Abstract

A compelling vision in nanomedicine is the use of self directed nanoparticles that can accumulate in areas of disease to perform designed functions, such as molecular delivery or destruction, endosomal release of genes or siRNA, and selective cell or tumor destruction with nano to macroscale spatiotemporal control and precision. These functions are increasingly achieved by gold nanoparticles (GNPs, such as sphere, shell or rod) that can be activated with a laser “switch”. A defining aspect of this “switch” is GNP absorption of laser light and the ensuing heat generation and temperature change that can be confined or propagated through multiple scales from the nanoparticle surface up through bulk biological cells and tissues. In this critical review, we discuss the fundamental mechanisms of laser GNP heat generation, the measurement and modelling of the ensuing thermal response, and a number of the evolving biological applications dependent on this new technology (181 references).

Graphical abstract: Thermophysical and biological responses of gold nanoparticle laser heating

Article information

Article type
Critical Review
Submitted
09 Jul 2011
First published
22 Sep 2011

Chem. Soc. Rev., 2012,41, 1191-1217

Thermophysical and biological responses of gold nanoparticle laser heating

Z. Qin and J. C. Bischof, Chem. Soc. Rev., 2012, 41, 1191 DOI: 10.1039/C1CS15184C

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements