Nano-Theranostics With Plasmonic Nanobubbles

Abstract

The multifunctionality of uniting diagnosis and treatment in one cell level theranostic procedure is the major promise and challenge of nanoparticle medicine. The efficacy, functionality, safety and precision of a nanoparticle medicine may be radically increased by replacing materials with preset stationary properties by non-stationary on-demand nanoevents with dynamically tunable diagnostic and therapeutic functions. This review describes such events, plasmonic nanobubbles, which are vapor nanobubbles threshold-activated around metal nanoparticles by a short laser pulse. Their transient nature delivers unprecedented multifunctionality and unites the diagnosis and therapy at cell level. Plasmonic nanobubble theranostics presents an entirely new platform for future medicine that brings established diagnostics and therapeutics to cell level.