Materials Science. Optical Interactions in Bio-inspired Nanoparticle Systems
Abstract
The proposed work will explore the relationship between organization and optother- mal interactions in dynamic, self-assembled mesoscopic systems. The central hypothesis is that, in symmetric clusters of nanoparticles organized by weak constitutive interactions mechanochemical, thermodynamic, and optical stresses can couple. This feature can be ex- ploited towards novel nanoscale sensors and light sources. Three applications are discussed:Development of a nanoscale strain sensor with optical readout mimicking organization and some of the functional aspects encountered in icosahedral virus particles. Such sensor will provide new knowledge that could lead to making better drug delivery vectors. For instance, it could address the question of whether vector stiffness may regulate cellular responses leading to entry. The approach beneÀts from the advantages of optical readout and could provide a novel quantitative measure of strain in soft matter at nanoscale. 1. Dynamic reorganization of entropically-driven nanoparticle cluster growth via optical interactions in spatially-conÀned colloids. Here we will deal with the paradigm of optical Àelds affecting nanoparticle organization, which in turn will perturb the coupling between optical Àeld and structure. This type of intrinsic feedback loop has not been yet explored systematically. Understanding and controlling it could lead to unique dynamic behavior or structures with novel optical properties hard to attain via conventional crystal growth. 2. Development of the Àrst bio-assembled spaser nanolaser, which extends a recently proven concept of intense light source of only a few tens of nanometers in size to a device that can form spontaneously and efficiently by co-assembly of functionalized nanoparticles with genetically engineered Àuorescently labeled virus proteins. This type of nanoscopic intense sources of light (and heat) could Ànd applications in the biomedical Àeld. Future beneÀts related to luminescence-guided cancer surgery are discussed with the purpose of illustrating the potential practical value. However, a host of fundamentally interesting questions arise concerning lasing in such structures, some of which we plan to examine. We also show how the infrastructure we have built in the past three years with partial funding from the Army Research Office will be used to construct and systematically explore the properties of nearly identical, Ànite systems of nanoparticles. Such systems are in general obtained in simple, efficient ways that do not require sophisticated nanofabrication laboratory tools, yet they display exquisite stoichiometric control. The pursuit of these ideas will lead to new design principles for Ànite nanomaterials anchored in a solid fundamental understanding, and to photonic applications derived from them.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Oct 17, 2018
- Source ID
- W911NF1710329
Entities
People
- Bogdan Dragnea
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Indiana University
- United States Army