Plasmonic Nanoparticle Thermal Dynamics

Plasmonic nanoparticles—typically gold or silver structures measuring tens to hundreds of nanometres—exhibit strong optical absorption at their surface plasmon resonance. When irradiated with pulsed or continuous‐wave lasers, they rapidly convert incident photons into heat, elevating their lattice temperature by tens to hundreds of degrees within picoseconds to nanoseconds. The generated heat diffuses into the surrounding medium, creating steep thermal gradients that drive phenomena such as vapour nanobubble nucleation, lattice expansion or melting, and Marangoni‐induced fluid flows at interfaces. Dynamic regimes range from spinodal‐type bubble formation under ultrafast excitation to inertia‐governed explosive growth under longer pulses. Temperature‐gradient‐driven variations in surface tension launch viscous flows modelled as stokeslet distributions near substrates, enabling microscale pumping and mixing. Concurrently, decay of plasmon modes produces energetic “hot” electrons capable of injecting into adjacent media, paving the way for photocatalysis and hot‐carrier chemistry. Integrated electromagnetic and heat‐transfer models that account for nonlinear absorption, thermal boundary resistances and phase‐change kinetics are essential for quantitative predictions. Experimental validation employs time‐resolved spectroscopy, pump–probe imaging, X-ray scattering and scattering spectroscopy. Control over nanoparticle geometry, excitation parameters and substrate design underpins applications in targeted photothermal therapy, optofluidic manipulation, precision nanofabrication and microfluidic thermal management. Recent efforts have focused on standardising damage‐threshold measurements and harnessing Marangoni flows for directed transport, signalling rapid maturation of this interdisciplinary field.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have elucidated the controlled generation of fluid flows around plasmonic‐heated vapour microbubbles via thermoplasmonic Marangoni effects. One investigation demonstrated that a focused laser on a gold nanoisland film generates a stable water vapour microbubble (~10 µm), around which rapid Marangoni flows exceeding 1 m/s were accurately described by a stokeslet model. Directional control was subsequently achieved by introducing a secondary laser spot, producing a tunable temperature gradient that steers flow parallel to the substrate and offers prospects for microfluidic pumping and thermal management. Complementing these fluid‐dynamic insights, rigorous experiments combining electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering and spectrophotometry have established standardised protocols for determining damage thresholds of gold nanospheres under nanosecond pulsed irradiation. The resulting dataset aligns closely with refined heat‐transfer models, resolving discrepancies with earlier studies and laying a critical foundation for safe and effective photothermal applications.

Plasmonic Nanoparticle Thermal Dynamics publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in plasmonic nanoparticle thermal dynamics across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Localised surface plasmon resonance: Collective oscillation of conduction electrons at a metal–dielectric interface that enhances light absorption at a characteristic wavelength.

Marangoni flow: Fluid motion induced by gradients in surface tension, often driven by temperature differences along an interface.

Stokeslet: A mathematical point-force singularity solution to the Stokes equations, used to model slow viscous flows generated by small forces near boundaries.

Spinodal decomposition: A rapid, barrierless phase-separation process in a supersaturated liquid that leads to simultaneous formation of coexisting phases.

Hot electrons: High-energy electrons produced during plasmon decay that can transfer into adjacent materials, enabling photochemical and catalytic reactions.

References

1. Explosive formation and dynamics of vapor nanobubbles around a continuously heated gold nanosphere. New Journal of Physics (2015).
2. Quasi-stokeslet induced by thermoplasmonic Marangoni effect around a water vapor microbubble. Scientific Reports (2017).
3. Hot electrons in water: injection and ponderomotive acceleration by means of plasmonic nanoelectrodes. Light: Science & Applications (2017).
4. Nanoscale heating of laser irradiated single gold nanoparticles in liquid.. Optics Express (2011).
5. Vapor bubble generation around gold nano-particles and its application to damaging of cells. Biomedical Optics Express (2011).
6. Quantitative Evaluation of Nanosecond Pulsed Laser-Induced Photomodification of Plasmonic Gold Nanoparticles. Scientific Reports (2017).
7. Direction control of quasi-stokeslet induced by thermoplasmonic heating of a water vapor microbubble. Scientific Reports (2019).