(321g) Spectrally and Spatially Tailored Gold/Silica/Ytterbium, Erbium Doped Yttria Core/Shell Nanorods For Theranostic Applications

Spectrally
and Spatially Tailored Gold/Silica/Ytterbium, Erbium Doped Yttria Core/Shell
Nanorods For Theranostic Applications

            Besides their reduced size, the technologically disruptive potential of
nanoparticles rests with their ability to gather several complementary
properties in the same object. For example, fluorescent/magnetic nanoparticles combine
the high sensitivity of fluorescence imaging with the high spatial resolution
of magnetic resonance imaging, while plasmonic/fluorescent nanoparticles
combine the photo-thermal properties of plasmonic materials with fluorescence
imaging, enabling simultaneous bio-imaging and photo-thermal therapy.

            Spectrally and spatially tailored, Au/SiO₂/Yb:Er:Y₂O₃
plasmonic/fluorescent core/shell nanorods were synthesized. The photonic modes
of the fluorescent component were spectrally and spatially matched to the gold
nanorod plasmonic modes by controlling the gold nanorod aspect ratio (spectral
mode match) and the silica spacer layer thickness (spatial mode match). The
spectrally-tailored hybrid plasmonic/fluorescent nanoparticles exhibited a more
intense emission signal, a shorter spontaneous emission lifetime and a
non-linear optical power dependence compared to the fluorescent material. The
material also showed similar cyto-toxic and photo-thermal properties compared
to polystyrene-coated gold nanorods. In photo-thermal therapy treatment tests,
we were able to induce selective hyperthermia of breast cancer tissue both in-vitro
and in-vivo using these hybrid nanomaterials as photosensitizers.

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