Abstract
A unique morphology of a gold nanostructure, called Au NEs, which can sensitize the formation of singlet oxygen as well as exert in vivo photodynamic and photothermal therapeutic effects in both the first and the second NIR biological windows for complete destruction of tumors in mice was studied. Au NEs were synthesized using a modified seed-growth procedure by using double-chain cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (DC 14 TAB) surfactant and characterized by various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image for the Au NEs, in which each nanoparticle surface contains many well-defined nanorods or multiple tips resembles an echinus-like structure. Au NEs exhibit excellent photostabilities using 808, 915 and 1064 nm CW lasers at 130 mW/cm 2 power intensity for 10 min which are similar conditions to those for Au NRs exposed to different cw lasers. This experiment clearly show that Au NEs have great potential to act as an effective photosensitizer for in vivo deep-tumor tissue treatments.