Photothermal Metastructure Platforms toward Precision Biomedical Applications

In this chapter, a step-by-step path is discussed that guides the reader toward the realization of efficient thermoresponsive metastructures. The gradual description begins with the consideration 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0 500 600 Wavelength (nm)  cross section (arb. units) 700 800 900 0% 4% 8% 16% 19% 23% FIG. 10.14 Numerical cross section of the hybrid nanoflower metastructure on a PDMS substrate under different stretching conditions and for an excitation electric field polarized perpendicular (E⊥) to the strain direction. 10-24 Hybrid Flatland Metastructures Principles of amorphous and random distributions of plasmonic subentities used as dynamically controlled photothermal sources. The further exploitation of a multiphysics numerical approach, including analysis of mechanical deformation, electromagnetic wave propagation, and thermal response, reveals how to achieve the fine design of periodical arrangements of nanostructures with specific photothermal response. Particular case studies show how the acquired know-how brings in a straightforward way the realization of physical unclonable functions with custom-designed thermal fingerprint or optimized nanostructures arrangements with a maximized optothermal response. These intriguing features can be efficiently exploited for the design of novel systems finding application in precision nanomedicine, environment, and biochemistry.