Light-induced release of DNA from gold nanoparticles: nanoshells and nanorods

Plasmon-resonant nanoparticle complexes show highly promising potential for light-triggered, remote-controlled delivery of oligonucleotides on demand, for research and therapeutic purposes. Here we investigate the light-triggered release of DNA from two types of nanoparticle substrates: Au nanoshells and Au nanorods. Both light-triggered and thermally induced release are distinctly observable from nanoshell-based complexes, with light-triggered release occurring at an ambient solution temperature well below the DNA melting temperature. Surprisingly, no analogous measurable release was observable from nanorod-based complexes below the DNA melting temperature. These results suggest that a nonthermal mechanism may play a role in plasmon resonant, light-triggered DNA release.