ME Fall 2012 Seminar Series

Friday, November 9

2:00 PM UTEB 150

Embedded metal nanoparticles as light-driven, localized heaters for in-situ materials processing
Laura Clarke
Physics Department, North Carolina State University

Abstract:
When metal nanoparticles are excited by light resonant with the particles surface plasmon, non-radiative relaxation efficiently generates heat in the immediate region surrounding the particle. Such photothermal heating has been extensively explored in solution environments for applications such as cancer treatment and drug delivery. In contrast, use of and understanding of photothermal heating in solids, such as nanoparticlepolymer composites, has been limited. However, such photothermal effects could facilitate in situ thermal processing of polymeric materials via externally-controllable light excitation. The spatial specificity and temperatures achieved can potentially be used for triggering phase transitions, cross-linking, or driving regionspecific chemical reactions inside the existing material. Anisotropic particles enable further tuning of the plasmonic frequency and polarization-controlled heating. By embedding fluorophores in the composite, a sensitive relative fluorescence approach can be utilized to dynamically monitor the average temperature within the sample as it is thermally processed. With modest light intensities and dilute nanoparticle concentrations, controllable temperature changes of several hundred degrees Celsius have been achieved.

Biographical Sketch:
Laura Clarke is an Associate Professor of Physics at NC State University. She received B.S degree in Physics from Montana State University and Ph.D. in Physics from University of Oregon. Before coming to NC State, she was a Research Associate of Physics at the University of Colorado-Boulder. Dr. Clarkes research focuses on electric and optical measurements of nanostructured materials, including phase transition and molecular orientation within self-assembled monolayers and behaviors of electrically-conducting material for biomedical applications.

For additional information, please contact Prof. Zhuyin Ren at (860) 486-8994, zhuyin.ren@engr.uconn.edu or Laurie Hockla at (860) 486-2189, hockla@engr.uconn.edu