Laser-targeted photofabrication of gold nanoparticles inside cells

Nicholas I. Smith (), Kentaro Mochizuki, Hirohiko Niioka, Satoshi Ichikawa, Nicolas Pavillon, Alison J. Hobro, Jun Ando, Katsumasa Fujita and Yutaro Kumagai
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Nicholas I. Smith: Biophotonics Laboratory, Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University
Kentaro Mochizuki: Osaka University
Hirohiko Niioka: Osaka University
Satoshi Ichikawa: Institute for NanoScience Design, Osaka University
Nicolas Pavillon: Biophotonics Laboratory, Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University
Alison J. Hobro: Biophotonics Laboratory, Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University
Jun Ando: Osaka University
Katsumasa Fujita: Osaka University
Yutaro Kumagai: Host Defense Laboratory, Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University

Nature Communications, 2014, vol. 5, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Nanoparticle manipulation is of increasing interest, since they can report single molecule-level measurements of the cellular environment. Until now, however, intracellular nanoparticle locations have been essentially uncontrollable. Here we show that by infusing a gold ion solution, focused laser light-induced photoreduction allows in situ fabrication of gold nanoparticles at precise locations. The resulting particles are pure gold nanocrystals, distributed throughout the laser focus at sizes ranging from 2 to 20 nm, and remain in place even after removing the gold solution. We demonstrate the spatial control by scanning a laser beam to write characters in gold inside a cell. Plasmonically enhanced molecular signals could be detected from nanoparticles, allowing their use as nano-chemical probes at targeted locations inside the cell, with intracellular molecular feedback. Such light-based control of the intracellular particle generation reaction also offers avenues for in situ plasmonic device creation in organic targets, and may eventually link optical and electron microscopy.

Date: 2014
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6144

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