Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 21, 2026
Preparation and Photoacoustic Analysis of Cellular Vehicles Containing Gold Nanorods
Published on: May 2, 2016
Molecular photoacoustic imaging with ultra-small gold nanoparticles
Sangheon Han1,2, Richard Bouchard2,3, Konstantin V Sokolov1,2
1Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005, USA.
Abstract:
Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) below 10 nm in size can undergo renal clearance, which could facilitate their clinical translation. However, due to non-linear, direct relationship between their absorption and size, use of such "ultra-small" AuNPs as contrast agents for photoacoustic imaging (PAI) is challenging. This problem is complicated by the tendency of absorption for ultra-small AuNPs to be below the NIR range, which is optimal for in vivo imaging. Herein, we present 5-nm molecularly activated plasmonic nanosensors (MAPS) that produce a strong photoacoustic signal in labeled cancer cells in the NIR, demonstrating the feasibility of sensitive PAI with ultra-small AuNPs.
Related Concept Videos
02:00Molecular Models
03:51Molecular Orbital Theory II
02:54Molecular and Ionic Solids
Molecular Solids
Molecular crystalline solids, such as ice, sucrose (table sugar), and iodine, are solids that are composed of neutral molecules as their constituent units. These molecules are held together by weak intermolecular forces such as London dispersion forces, dipole-dipole interactions, or hydrogen bonds, which...
02:35Molecular Orbital Theory I
02:27Predicting Molecular Geometry
03:07Kinetic Molecular Theory: Molecular Velocities, Temperature, and Kinetic Energy