Gold nanorods have been of great interest for therapeutic and biological applications  due to their unique optical properties. In particular, the ability to heat them externally using laser excitation at the surface plasmon resonance (SPR), which can heat the particles to high temperatures and trigger the release of a payload on the nanorod surface. However, one obstacle for practical use of nanorods both in vitro and in vivo is that as soon as they are introduced to a biological fluid, proteins and other species that are present at high concentration adsorb to their surfaces, forming a �protein corona.� This corona is impossible to prevent and can block the surface of the nanorod, as well as cause undesired side effects in targeting and biodistribution.  Despite this, the protein corona has desirable and unique properties that can enhance triggered release. We form protein coronas around gold nanorods such that they can hold large quantities of small molecules and DNA. The nanorods can be excited by laser irradiation on their SPR, which heats the nanorods and disrupts the corona, releasing the drug or DNA. We are using triggered release of species from the gold nanorods for a variety of biological and therapeutic applications.

Laser triggered release from gold nanorods: Using the protein corona

245th National Meeting (2013)

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