Direct measurements of heating by electromagnetically trapped gold nanoparticles on supported lipid bilayers.

Measurements of extreme orientation-dependent temperature increase around an irradiated gold nanorod

When irradiated at its resonance frequency, a metallic nanoparticle efficiently converts the absorbed energy into heat which is locally dissipated. This effect can be used in photothermal treatments, e.g., of cancer cells. However, to fully exploit the functionality of metallic nanoparticles as nanoscopic heat transducers, it is essential to know how the photothermal efficiency depends on param...

Photothermal heating of optically trapped gold nanoparticles quantified using controlled vesicle cargo release

Optically trapped metallic nanoparticles hold great promise as heat transducers in photothermal applications such as drug delivery assays or photothermal therapy. We use the heat dissipated from an optically trapped gold nanosphere to perform a controlled release of a fluorescently labeled vesicle lumen. In the assay, the ambient temperature is kept below the phase transition temperature of the...

Formation of supported lipid bilayers containing phase-segregated domains and their interaction with gold nanoparticles

Direct proof of spontaneous translocation of lipid-covered hydrophobic nanoparticles through a phospholipid bilayer

Hydrophobic nanoparticles introduced into living systems may lead to increased toxicity, can activate immune cells, or can be used as nanocarriers for drug or gene delivery. It is generally accepted that small hydrophobic nanoparticles are blocked by lipid bilayers and accumulate in the bilayer core, whereas big nanoparticles can only penetrate cells through slow energy-dependent processes, suc...

Heat Profiling of Optically Trapped Gold Nanoparticles using Vesicle Release

The purpose of this speciale-thesis is to accurate measure the heating from optically trapped gold nanoparticles with diameters 60, 80, 100, 150, and 200 nm. Optical tweezers operating at a wavelength of 1064 nm are used to both control the particles position and confer irradiation, which is absorbed by the gold particles. The temperature profile is then measured by letting DC15PC phospholipid ...