Abstract
Photothermal stability and, therefore, consistency of both optical absorption and photoacoustic response of the plasmonic nanoabsorbers is critical for successful photoacoustic image-guided photothermal therapy. In this study, silica-coated gold nanorods were developed as a multifunctional molecular imaging and therapeutic agent suitable for image-guided photothermal therapy. The optical properties and photothermal stability of silica-coated gold nanorods under intense irradiation with nanosecond laser pulses were investigated by UV-Vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Silica-coated gold nanorods showed increased photothermal stability and retained their superior optical properties under much higher fluences. The changes in photoacoustic response of PEGylated and silica-coated nanorods under laser pulses of various fluences were compared. The silica-coated gold nanorods provide a stable photoacoustic signal, which implies better imaging capabilities and make silica-coated gold nanorods a promising imaging and therapeutic nano-agent for photoacoustic imaging and image-guided photothermal therapy.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 8867-8877 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Optics Express |
Volume | 18 |
Issue number | 9 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Apr 26 2010 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics