Photoacoustics of core–shell nanospheres using comprehensive modeling and analytical solution approach

Photoacoustic visualization of nanoparticles is capable of high contrast imaging at depth greater than that of traditional optical imaging techniques. Identifying the impact of various parameters on the photoacoustic signal is crucial in the design of effective medical imaging and diagnostics. Here, we develop a complete model of Fourier heat conduction incorporating the interfacial thermal resistance and photoacoustic equation for core-shell nanospheres in a fluid under nanosecond pulsed laser illumination. An analytical solution is obtained, elucidating the contribution of each region (core, shell, or the fluid) in the generation of the photoacoustic signal. The model reveals that the sharper the laser pulse temporal waveform is, the higher the sensitivity of the generated photoacoustic signal will be to the interfacial thermal resistance, and, thus, the higher the possibility of photoacoustic signal amplification will be using silica-coating. The comprehensive model and adopted analytical solution reveal the underlying physics of the photoacoustic signal generation form core-shell nanosphere systems.