Research from Zhaolong Chen, Dexin Yu, shows that Tunable SERS-Tags-Hidden Gold Nanorattles for Theranosis of Cancer Cells with Single Laser Beam.

In this study, STHGNRs for theranosis of cancer cells were produced by a galvanic replacement reaction between GMSSNs and HAuCl₄. Their observed red-shift of SPR peak with increase of HAuCl₄ is mainly due to reduction of the shell thickness (figure 1), which is consistent with our theoretical analysis. On one hand, increasing void size while fixing the inner core size and shell thickness constant, will contribute to the absorption band red-shift as the plasmon oscillation decreases in energy. This result is consist with the optical properties of hollow gold nanospheres. On the other hand, increasing shell thickness while fixing the inner core size and void size constant, will contribute to the SPR peak blue-shift. This result implies that STHGNRs takes on more solid-particle-like properties as inner cavity decreases and shell thickness increases. The SPR peak of 13 nm GNPs is approximately 520 nm. When it was trapped in hollow gold shell, the SPR peak would shift to lower energy, which can be explained with Halas’ Plasmon Hybridization Theory. The SPR peak of STHGNRs was readily tuned to NIR required for PTT and SERS detection by controlling the inner void sizes and shell thicknesses.

Reference

Zhaolong Chen, Dexin Yu, Tunable SERS-Tags-Hidden Gold Nanorattles for Theranosis of Cancer Cells with Single Laser Beam,Scientific Reports 4, Article number:6709, doi:10.1038/srep06709