by Sara C. Freitas, Elena Köhler-Ruiz, Dirk H. Ortgies, Emma Martin Rodriguez, Francisco Javier Fernández-Alonso, Alexey Maximenko, Ana S. Silva, Helder Crespo, João P. Araujo, João H. Belo and Célia Tavares de Sousa
Abstract:
Magnetoplasmonic nanoparticles are emerging as promising theranostic platforms, offering a unique combination of magnetic and plasmonic properties for advanced biomedical imaging and therapy. This work presents the synthesis and characterization of gold and iron magnetoplasmonic nanoparticles produced via laser ablation in liquids. Multilayer Au/Fe/Au thin film targets were ablated in an aqueous medium containing β-cyclodextrins using a femtosecond laser amplifier operating at 800 nm. Comprehensive characterization of the nanoparticles was performed using scanning and transmission electron microscopy, confirming a composite core-satellite structure, where gold nanoparticles are decorated with iron, with total average diameter of 28 nm. The magnetic properties of the nanoparticles reveal a superparamagnetic behavior with a blocking temperature of 29 K, which corresponds to an estimated iron shell of 7.3 nm diameter. Upon continuous-wave laser irradiation of the nanoparticles at a wavelength of 1310 nm, photothermal assessment demonstrated a temperature increase ranging from 4.2°C to 12.6°C at laser powers between 16 and 54 mW, respectively, with stable heat conversion efficiency of 33.6%. Furthermore, the high optical scattering efficiency (∼66.4%) confirmed their effectiveness as contrast agents for optical coherence tomography, further highlighting their potential for advanced imaging applications. These results highlight the multifunctionality and versatility of Au-Fe nanoparticles synthesized via laser ablation in liquids for advanced biomedical theragnostic applications.
Reference:
Sara C. Freitas, Elena Köhler-Ruiz, Dirk H. Ortgies, Emma Martin Rodriguez, Francisco Javier Fernández-Alonso, Alexey Maximenko, Ana S. Silva, Helder Crespo, João P. Araujo, João H. Belo and Célia Tavares de Sousa, “Magnetoplasmonic nanoparticles synthesized via laser ablation in liquids: photothermal efficiency and contrast agents for optical coherence tomography (OCT)”, Applied Materials Today, vol. 48, pp. 103119.
Bibtex Entry:
@article{freitas_magnetoplasmonic_2026,
title = {Magnetoplasmonic nanoparticles synthesized via laser ablation in liquids: photothermal efficiency and contrast agents for optical coherence tomography ({OCT})},
volume = {48},
issn = {2352-9407},
shorttitle = {Magnetoplasmonic nanoparticles synthesized via laser ablation in liquids},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235294072600034X},
doi = {10.1016/j.apmt.2026.103119},
abstract = {Magnetoplasmonic nanoparticles are emerging as promising theranostic platforms, offering a unique combination of magnetic and plasmonic properties for advanced biomedical imaging and therapy. This work presents the synthesis and characterization of gold and iron magnetoplasmonic nanoparticles produced via laser ablation in liquids. Multilayer Au/Fe/Au thin film targets were ablated in an aqueous medium containing β-cyclodextrins using a femtosecond laser amplifier operating at 800 nm. Comprehensive characterization of the nanoparticles was performed using scanning and transmission electron microscopy, confirming a composite core-satellite structure, where gold nanoparticles are decorated with iron, with total average diameter of 28 nm. The magnetic properties of the nanoparticles reveal a superparamagnetic behavior with a blocking temperature of 29 K, which corresponds to an estimated iron shell of 7.3 nm diameter. Upon continuous-wave laser irradiation of the nanoparticles at a wavelength of 1310 nm, photothermal assessment demonstrated a temperature increase ranging from 4.2°C to 12.6°C at laser powers between 16 and 54 mW, respectively, with stable heat conversion efficiency of 33.6%. Furthermore, the high optical scattering efficiency (∼66.4%) confirmed their effectiveness as contrast agents for optical coherence tomography, further highlighting their potential for advanced imaging applications. These results highlight the multifunctionality and versatility of Au-Fe nanoparticles synthesized via laser ablation in liquids for advanced biomedical theragnostic applications.},
urldate = {2026-02-27},
journal = {Applied Materials Today},
author = {Freitas, Sara C. and Köhler-Ruiz, Elena and Ortgies, Dirk H. and Rodriguez, Emma Martin and Fernández-Alonso, Francisco Javier and Maximenko, Alexey and Silva, Ana S. and Crespo, Helder and Araujo, João P. and Belo, João H. and de Sousa, Célia Tavares},
month = feb,
year = {2026},
keywords = {Femtosecond laser ablation, Magnetoplasmonic nanoparticles, Optical coherence tomography, Photothermal therapy},
pages = {103119},
file = {ScienceDirect Full Text PDF:E:\Usuarios\Administrator\Zotero\storage\C3ZBBBH5\Freitas et al. - 2026 - Magnetoplasmonic nanoparticles synthesized via laser ablation in liquids photothermal efficiency an.pdf:application/pdf;ScienceDirect Snapshot:E:\Usuarios\Administrator\Zotero\storage\U2KVVSR2\S235294072600034X.html:text/html},
}