Characterization and Modeling of Laser Photothermal Heating of Nanocrystalline Silicon Nanowires in Cells to Explain Experimental Phenomena

Nanocrystalline silicon nanowires (NCSiNWs) under laser illumination in cells have been experimentally shown to be able to remotely manipulate organelles and neuronal excitability and induce intracellular calcium release. These findings could lead to potentially revolutionary impacts in nanotechnology-based therapeutics and be used as a tool for non-destructive remote studying of organelles, liquid condensates, neurons, and calcium dynamics. However, the basic properties of these NCSiNWs and detailed mechanisms of these intracellular interactions have not been fully explored. This study aims to shed light on the properties of these NCSiNWs through their characterization through Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Using these properties and performing sophisticated dual-phase-lag heat transport calculations that properly describe thermal boundaries, it is found that the predicted temperature increases from laser-induced photothermal heating are large enough to account for the observed protein disassembly and calcium release. The prediction of these temperature increases is based on laser heating of NCSiNWs which transfer heat to the surrounding intracellular medium.

Automated summary

This study characterizes the properties of NCSiNWs and investigates their laser-induced heat transfer phenomenon, finding that they can generate significant temperature increases in cells, leading to protein disassembly and calcium release.