Nematic liquid crystals used to control photo-thermal effects in gold nanoparticles

Luigia Pezzi; Luciano De Sio; Giovanna Palermo; Alessandro Veltri; Tiziana Placido; Maria Lucia Curri; Nelson Tabiryan; Cesare Umeton

doi:10.1117/12.2216201

7 March 2016 Nematic liquid crystals used to control photo-thermal effects in gold nanoparticles

Luigia Pezzi, Luciano De Sio, Giovanna Palermo, Alessandro Veltri, Tiziana Placido, Maria Lucia Curri, Nelson Tabiryan, Cesare Umeton

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 9769, Emerging Liquid Crystal Technologies XI; 97690C (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2216201
Event: SPIE OPTO, 2016, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

We report on photo-thermal eﬀects observed in gold nanoparticles (GNPs) dispersed in Nematic Liquid Crystals (NLCs). Under a suitable optical radiation, GNPs exhibit a strong light absorption/scattering; the eﬀect depends on the refractive index of the medium surrounding the nanoparticles, which can be electrically or optically tuned. In this way, the system represents an ideal nano-source of heat, remotely controllable by light to adjust the temperature at the nanoscale. Photo-induced temperature variations in GNPs dispersed in NLCs have been investigated by implementing a theoretical model based on the thermal heating equation applied to an anisotropic medium; theoretical predictions have been compared with results of experiments carried out in a NLC medium hosting GNPs. Both theory and experiments represent a step forward to understand the physics of heat production at the nanoscale, with applications that range from photonics to nanomedicine.

Citation Download Citation

Luigia Pezzi, Luciano De Sio, Giovanna Palermo, Alessandro Veltri, Tiziana Placido, Maria Lucia Curri, Nelson Tabiryan, and Cesare Umeton "Nematic liquid crystals used to control photo-thermal effects in gold nanoparticles", Proc. SPIE 9769, Emerging Liquid Crystal Technologies XI, 97690C (7 March 2016); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2216201

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