A possible application in the medical field concerns gene therapy, post-operative treatments and, increasingly, cancer treatment. The production of these nanoparticles and Medical Scrubs involves the formation first of a silica core on which a layer of colloidal gold is adsorbed, thanks to an intermediate film rich in amino groups which increases the affinity between silica and gold.
Yt can then be coated according to requirements with substances such as, for example, polyethylene glycol (PEG), a polymer useful for dispersing the active ingredient which is to be directed. Once implanted in the cells, the capsules are stable and able to protect the contents from the action of cellular enzymes and Medical Scrubs.
When the cells are then exposed to light in the near-infrared field (Near InfraRed, in the acronym NIR) the energy of the radiation that strikes the gold nanoparticles that cover the walls of the capsule is transformed into thermal energy.