Remote decapsulation of nanocomposite liposomal capsules containing gold nanorods by ultrashort electric pulses

Abstract

The decapsulation effect of nanocomposite liposomal capsules containing anisotropic gold nanoparticles (nanorods), which is caused by the action of ultrashort electric pulses on these capsules, is discovered. The mechanism of destruction of liposomal shells of the capsules near poles of conducting gold nanorods under the pulse electric action is described. An expression for the critical intensity of the pulse electric field, which determines the threshold of initiation of this effect, is obtained. Its numerical value is in agreement with the obtained experimental data. It is shown experimentally that the discovered decapsulation effect is caused by the presence of gold nanorods connected to the liposomal shell of the capsules and does not arise in the absence of nanorods.