Gold Nanoshells


Gold colloid (left) and gold nanoshells of various thicknesses.

Calculated gold nanoshell plasmon resonances for a 120nm core with indicated shell thickness.

  • Nanoshells have a dielectric core (silica) coated with a nanolayer of metal (gold).
  • Optical properties depend on the relative sizes of the core and the shell.
    •
    http://www.nanospectra.com/physics/physics.asp

  • Nanoshells combined with targeting proteins could allow selective cancer cell destruction by NIR local heating without harming untargeted cells.

  • Human breast carcinoma cells incubated with nanoshells in vitro exhibit photothermally induced morbidity on exposure to near-infrared (NIR) light (820 nm, 35 W/cm2) while cells without nanoshells displayed no loss in viability. Biological systems are highly transparent to NIR light.
    • L. R. Hirsch, R. J.Stafford, J. A. Bankson, S. R. Sershen, B. Rivera, R. E. Price, J. D. Hazle, N. J. Halas, & J. L. West, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 100, 13549-13554 (2003).