Multifunctionalization of Gold Nanoshells.

Gold silica nanoshells have found many applications within the field of molecular biology, including as nanoscale sensors, the detection of biomarkers, and in the treatment of solid tumors using photothermal ablation. In order for them to be targeted to specific biomarkers while also remaining stable in biological media, it is often necessary to modify their surfaces with more than one functional group. Here, we describe how to create multifunctional gold nanoshells that can be used to either target specific tumor types in vivo or for the detection of biomarkers using biological specimen.