Plasmon-enhancement in nanostructured shells for single particle protein assays and photodynamic therapy

The ability to grow plasmonic shells on micro- and nanoparticles by electroless plating leads to the creation of novel and easily deployable heterogeneous materials for detection of biomolecules and medical therapy with high sensitivity and low irradiation needs. The overall quality, optical performances, and stability of the shells are important to address and can be controlled by rational design of the shell structures. Here, Ag and Au nanostructured shells are discussed in the context of magneto-plasmonics and attomolar multiplex protein assays.