Quantitative Microscale Thermometry in Droplets Loaded with Gold Nanoparticles

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are increasingly used for their thermoplasmonic properties, i.e., their ability to convert light energy into heat through plasmon resonance. However, measuring temperature gradients generated at the microscale by assemblies of AuNPs remains challenging, especially for random 3D distributions of AuNPs. Here, we introduce a label-free thermometry approach, combining quantitative wavefront microscopy and numerical simulations, to infer the heating power dissipated by a 3D model system consisting of emulsion microdroplets loaded with AuNPs. This approach gives access to the temperature reached in the droplets under laser irradiation without the need for extrinsic calibration. This versatile thermometry method is promising for noninvasive temperature measurements in various 3D microsystems involving AuNPs as colloidal heat sources, including photothermal drug delivery systems.