Polydopamine and Its Derivative Materials: Synthesis and Promising Applications in Energy, Environmental, and Biomedical Fields

Gold nanoparticles have been used in biomedical applications since their first colloidal syntheses more than three centuries ago. However, over the past two decades, their beautiful colors and unique electronic properties have also attracted tremendous attention due to their historical applications in art and ancient medicine and current applications in enhanced optoelectronics and photovoltaics. In spite of their modest alchemical beginnings, gold nanoparticles exhibit physical properties that are truly different from both small molecules and bulk materials, as well as from other nanoscale particles. Their unique combination of properties is just beginning to be fully realized in range of medical diagnostic and therapeutic applications. This critical review will provide insights into the design, synthesis, functionalization, and applications of these artificial molecules in biomedicine and discuss their tailored interactions with biological systems to achieve improved patient health. Further, we provide a survey of the rapidly expanding body of literature on this topic and argue that gold nanotechnology-enabled biomedicine is not simply an act of ‘gilding the (nanomedicinal) lily’, but that a new ‘Golden Age’ of biomedical nanotechnology is truly upon us. Moving forward, the most challenging nanoscience ahead of us will be to find new chemical and physical methods of functionalizing gold nanoparticles with compounds that can promote efficient binding, clearance, and biocompatibility and to assess their safety to other biological systems and their long-term term effects on human health and reproduction (472 references).

The golden age: gold nanoparticles for biomedicine

Functional Nanomaterials for Phototherapies of Cancer

A new generation of photothermal therapeutic agents based on biopolymer dopamine-melanin colloidal nanospheres is described. Benefitting from their naturally wide distribution in humans, dopamine-melanin colloidal nanospheres exhibit robust biocompatibility and biodegradability, and provide up to 40% photothermal conversion efficiency. After administration, they can efficiently damage tumors at low power density and short irradiation time without damaging healthy tissues.

Dopamine‐Melanin Colloidal Nanospheres: An Efficient Near‐Infrared Photothermal Therapeutic Agent for In Vivo Cancer Therapy

Role of Structural Factors in the Nonlinear Optical Properties of Phthalocyanines and Related Compounds

Surface plasmons (SPs) have attracted much attentions because optical properties can be greatly enhanced by coupling between SPs and the multiple quantum wells(MQWs) in light-emitting diodes(LEDs). We demonstrate the SP enhanced InGaN/GaN MQW blue LED with an Ag nanoparticle layer located underneath the MQWs. An enhancement of 32.2% of optical output power of the LED was observed at an input current of 100 mA. The time resolvedphotoluminescence(PL) result showed that the PL decay time of the LED with Ag nanoparticles was significantly decreased compared to that of the LED without Ag nanoparticles, indicating that the spontaneous emission rate was increased by the energy transfer between the QW light emitter and the SP of Ag nanoparticle. This result shows that the Ag nanoparticles can be used to greatly increase the internal quantum efficiency of InGaN/GaN MQW blue LED through the coupling of excitons in MQWs and SPs in Ag nanoparticles.

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Surface-Plasmon-Enhanced Light-Emitting Diodes†

We developed a very effective hyperthermia system for successful photothermal cancer therapy. Instead of applying individual gold nanorods (GNRs) that can absorb NIR light, GNRs were loaded into functional nanocarriers that could provide stable storage of GNRs and selective delivery to a target tumor site. The functional nanocarriers (chitosan-conjugated, Pluronic-based nanocarriers) were prepared by chemically cross-linking Pluronic F 68 with chitosan conjugation to form a flexible, soft, and excellent reservoir for biomacromolecules as well as tumor targeting. In vivo characteristics of the nanocarriers including a long circulation time, a good tumor accumulation, and low liver uptake were previously characterized by us. When GNRs were delivered by using these nanocarriers, much enhanced in vitro cellular uptake and a photothermal effect were observed for a cancer cell line. More importantly, an intravenous injection of this system followed by NIR laser irradiation to the tumor site resulted in a very e...

Tumor regression in vivo by photothermal therapy based on gold-nanorod-loaded, functional nanocarriers.

Enhancement of the external quantum efficiency of a silicon quantum dot light-emitting diode by localized surface plasmons

We have demonstrated the directional control of surface plasmon polariton (SPP) waves propagating through an asymmetric plasmonic Bragg resonator using femtosecond temporal-phase control via the resonant coupling of SPPs and the interference of SPPs. The near-field images display significant temporal-phase dependence, switching between left and right propagation after the Bragg resonator. Our results would be a key step toward the control of surface plasmon propagation direction in nanoscaled plasmonic applications

Clare C. Byeon

Papers

Surface-Plasmon-Enhanced Light-Emitting Diodes†

Tumor regression in vivo by photothermal therapy based on gold-nanorod-loaded, functional nanocarriers.

Enhancement of the external quantum efficiency of a silicon quantum dot light-emitting diode by localized surface plasmons

Directional control of surface plasmon polariton waves propagating through an asymmetric Bragg resonator

Luminescence and structural properties of Y(Ta,Nb)O4:Eu3+,Tb3+ phosphors