We control the growth on gold nanostructures by bottom-up and top-down methods, then leverage the plasmonic enhancement of sharp features in a number of ways to interact with cells both individually and in parallel. We use parallel seed-mediated-growth of branched Au nanoparticles in situ in microfluidic channels. The Au nanostars have strong plasmonic responses, which are used both for Raman enhancement and efficient photon-to-heat conversion through plasmon-phonon coupling. The Au nanostars are functionalized for the selective capture of cells based on molecular recognition. The localized hyperthermia effect is used for the controlled “soft” detachment of individual circulating tumor cells after they are probed spectroscopically and identified. With polymer sphere and controlled etching, we make wafer-scale arrays of sharp features that are used for high-efficiency intracellular delivery for suspension cells. Here, we use the sharp features of gold nanostructures fabricated with chemical lift-off lithography and the pitch of the structures to interact stoichiometrically with the cells. The structures can be fabricated straightforwardly on a number of substrates (e.g., glass, polymer, etc.). We use nanosecond laser pulses to excite the plasmonic nanostructures and to heat the Au tips locally, creating transient pores in the cell membranes to deliver of biomolecular payloads with high efficiency and cell viability.

Control of nanostructure shape to control function– in honor of Prof. Younan Xia

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