Influence of gold nanorods environment on photoacoustic conversion

Gold nanorods have attracted much attention in the last decades due to their potential as contrast agents for photoacoustic imaging and as sensitizers for the selective pho-tothermolysis of cancer. In order to exploit the full potential of these materials, it becomes essential to understand how the various parameters of the particles and of their environment affect their optical behavior and their photostability. In this paper, we present a study on the photoacoustic conversion of gold nanorods in environments with different thermodynamic and mechanical properties, such as water and acetone. We are confident that our results will provide useful information for the design and application of gold nanorods for photoacoustic imaging and microsurgery.