Engineering nanostructures with enhanced thermoplasmonic properties for biosensing and selective targeting applications

This paper connects the study of thermoplasmonic properties in nanoscale particles with areas of biophysics involving a cell membrane with or without conductive pores. Using a quasistatic finite element modeling of the heat transfer equation in three dimensions we simulate the stationary heat generation and temperature field around several types of gold-based nanostructures. Models were constructed that emphasized the importance of obtaining precise temperature fields that might subsequently be used for biosensing and selective targeting applications. By analyzing the observed temperature increase, effective complex permittivity, and electric field enhancement that result from plasmonic resonance, this theoretical framework provides insight into the role of the nanoparticle shape in heat generation. To illustrate the usefulness of this approach for biosensing applications, we consider how the positioning of the nanoantenna affects heating efficiency. Linear response calculations of the temperature increase reveal that symmetric gold nanosphere dimers are not only suitable for sensing applications, but can also play the role of heat sources which are more efficient than the case of a single nanosphere. We also predict that this specific type of nanoantenna allows us to detect the presence and size of a hole in the cell membrane. These results provide insight into the physics of the cell membrane and provide guidance for more detailed studies of the nanoscale control of temperature in biological materials.