Experimental investigation of parameters influencing plasmonic nanoparticle-mediated bubble generation with nanosecond laser pulses

Abstract

Plasmonic nanoparticles (PNPs) continue to see increasing use in biophotonics for a variety of applications, including cancer detection and treatment. Several PNP-based approaches involve the generation of highly transient nanobubbles due to pulsed laser-induced vaporization and cavitation. While much effort has been devoted to elucidating the mechanisms behind bubble generation with spherical gold nano particles, the effects of particle shape on bubble generation thresholds are not well understood, especially in the nanosecond pulse regime. Our study aims to compare the bubble generation thresholds of gold nanospheres, gold nanorods, and silica-core gold nanoshells with different sizes, resonances, and surface coatings. Bubble generation is detected using a multimodality microscopy platform for simultaneous, nanosecond resolution pump-probe imaging, integrated scattering response, and acoustic transient detection. Nanoshells and large (40-nm width) nanorods were found to have the lowest thresholds for bubble generation, and in some cases they generated bubbles at radiant exposures below standard laser safety limits for skin exposure. This has important implications for both safety and performance of techniques employing pulsed lasers and PNPs.

Structured Light Control and Diagnostics Using Optical Crystals

“…For example, controllable creation and manipulation of micro-bubbles [38], generated in a biological environment, can realize unique mechanical and physicochemical functions. The collapse of a bubble mechanically affects the surrounding volume, which can be used for desirable agent delivering to special cells in cell surgery and, if necessary, for cell destruction and transfection [39][40][41]. The ability of bubbles to scatter light makes them suitable microobjects for imaging cells and tissues.…”

Stimuli-responsive nanobubbles for biomedical applications

“…33 Aogaki et al reported that transient NBs could also be generated in aqueous electrolyte solutions by an electric field with the assistance of a magnetic field. 56 In contrast to NBs produced by water electrolysis, the authors suggested that NBs are created by a magnetic field that induces the collision of ionic vacancies, which are initialized by an electrode reaction in the electric field.…”

“…Recently, Fales et al further confirmed the above findings and found that the threshold laser intensity for nanoshells was the lowest and also pointed out that silica coated gold nanorods could significantly reduce the NB formation threshold. 56 By incorporating low boiling point of PFC into the hollow gold nano-shell interior cavity, the threshold laser intensity for the generation of NBs can be further reduced by more than half. 98,99 Recently, some studies have also reported on the dynamic response of pulsed laser induced vapor NB around photothermal NPs.…”

Photonic and Plasmonic Metasensors

“…The ORCID identification number(s) for the author(s) of this article can be found under https://doi.org/10.1002/lpor.202100328 DOI: 10.1002/lpor.202100328 research [4][5][6] and play critical roles in the development of advanced methods in nanosurgery, [7,8] targeted drug delivery and nanomedicine, [9][10][11][12] subcellular level, and tomographic imaging, [6,[13][14][15][16][17] immunobiosensing, [18][19][20][21][22][23][24] photothermalenabled cancer and tumor therapies, [25][26][27][28][29] vapor and bubble generation, [30][31][32][33] control of enzyme reaction, [34][35][36][37] label-free genetic analysis, [38][39][40][41][42] neuron stimulation, [43][44][45][46][47] heat-assisted magnetic recording, [48][4...…”