Plasmonic Nanoparticle-Generated Photothermal Bubbles and Their Biomedical Applications

Abstract

This article is focused on the optical generation and detection of photothermal vapor bubbles around plasmonic nanoparticles. We report physical properties of such plasmonic nanobubbles and their biomedical applications as cellular probes. Our experimental studies of gold nanoparticle-generated photothermal bubbles demonstrated the selectivity of photothermal bubble generation, amplification of optical scattering and thermal insulation effect, all realized at the nanoscale. The generation and imaging of photothermal bubbles in living cells (leukemia and carcinoma culture and primary cancerous cells), and tissues (atherosclerotic plaque and solid tumor in animal) demonstrated a noninvasive highly sensitive imaging of target cells by small photothermal bubbles and a selective mechanical, nonthermal damage to the individual target cells by bigger photothermal bubbles due to a rapid disruption of cellular membranes. The analysis of the plasmonic nanobubbles suggests them as theranostic probes, which can be tuned and optically guided at cell level from diagnosis to delivery and therapy during one fast process.

Keywords::

• cell
• imaging
• laser
• plasmonic nanoparticle
• photothermal
• theranostics
• vapor bubble

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Corrigendum

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The author acknowledges support from NIH 1R21CA133641 and from the Institute of International Education/SRF (NY, USA). The author has no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Acknowledgements

The author appreciates valuable input and support from Ekaterina Lukianova-Hleb from AV Lykov Institute of Heat and Mass Transfer, Jason Hafner, Rebekah Drezek and James McNew (Dr McNew has also kindly provided Figure 19 ) from Rice University, Jeffrey Myers, Ann Gillenwater and Ehab Hanna from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Additional information

Funding

The author acknowledges support from NIH 1R21CA133641 and from the Institute of International Education/SRF (NY, USA). The author has no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.