Open AccessNear-infrared femtosecond laser-triggered nanoperforation of hollow microcapsules
Author(s) -
Mitsuhiro Terakawa,
Tatsuki Mitsuhashi,
Takumi Shinohara,
Hisashi Shimizu
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.21.012604
Subject(s) - materials science , femtosecond , laser , optics , irradiation , ablation , infrared , optoelectronics , laser ablation , fabrication , medicine , physics , alternative medicine , engineering , pathology , nuclear physics , aerospace engineering
Fabrication of a nanopore in a hollow microcapsule was demonstrated using near-infrared femtosecond laser irradiation. The shape of the irradiated microcapsules was kept spherical except for a pore in the shell owing to the nonthermal processing by a femtosecond laser. The simulation results for the near-field and far-field scattering around a microcapsule revealed that highly-enhanced optical intensity can be generated at a spot on the shell of a microcapsule, which would in turn contribute to localized ablation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the nanoperforation of transparent hollow microcapsules by a near-infrared laser without any doping with absorbing metals or dyes that may cause cell toxicity. The presented method is a promising approach for safer drug delivery and the controlled release of therapeutic drugs.