Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-3-2025
Abstract
This study investigates the photothermal properties of citrate-capped gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) dispersed in agarose gel, examining various sizes and concentrations, particularly within a low-concentration range (0.2–2.5 nM). Heat transfer measurements are conducted on Au NP hydrogels using laser-light induced heating, revealing a size- and concentration-dependent temperature increase compared to the plain agarose gel matrix. Experimental data, combined with finite-element analysis, demonstrate that photothermal energy conversion efficiencies are dependent on NP size and concentration, while the thermal conductivity (TC) of all Au NP hydrogels remains constant and independent of these parameters within the tested concentration range. UV-visible spectroscopy indicates that the observed photothermal heating arises from light absorption and scattering within the Au NP hydrogels. This work highlights the interplay between plasmonic Au NPs of varying sizes and hydrogels as host matrices, significantly impacting photothermal energy conversion properties. The findings herein aim to provide valuable insights for advancements in biomedical and energy-related applications.
Keywords
agarose gel, gold nanoparticles, light absorption, photothermal, photothermal conversion efficiency, size effect
Language
English
Publication Title
Chemnanomat
Rights
© 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/BY-NC-ND/4.0/), which permits non-commercial copying and redistribution of the material in any medium or format, provided the original work is not changed in any way and is properly cited.
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
M. S. Rashwan, A. M. Al-Sheikh, H. Baskaran, C. Burda, Plasmonic Enhancement of Photothermal Conversion Efficiency in Gold-Nanoparticle Hydrogels, ChemNanoMat 2025, 11, e202400636. https://doi.org/10.1002/cnma.202400636
Manuscript Version
Final Publisher Version