Engineered Gold Nanoparticles for Photothermal Applications

Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) offer a plethora of unique physiochemical properties, which have led to their widespread popularity. Their ability to efficiently convert light into localized heat at the nanoscale is of particular interest. Recent advances in nanofabrication and chemical synthesis have resulted in an abundance of different Au NPs, ranging from homogeneous nanospheres to complex hybrid nanostructures. In this chapter, we present an overview of the state-of-the-art in thermoplasmonics research and propose a framework for gold nanostructures based on three fundamental structural dimensions (length scale, anisotropy, and complexity) for classifying and designing photothermal Au NPs. We also review representative examples of potential applications of thermoplasmonics in biomedicine, nanofabrication, solar steam generation, catalysis, thermophoresis, and functional materials.