(818f) The Use of Hyperspectral Imaging for the Detection of Gold Nanorods in An In Vitro System

Due to their unique plasmonic and optical properties, gold nanorods (GNR) have shown tremendous potential for nano-based applications extending into a variety of fields including advanced bioimaging techniques. These distinctive, shape-specific properties are strongly dependent upon the GNR aspect ratio, thus producing the ability to be targeted for an application by fine-tuning their physical parameters. It is owing to their characteristic spectral signature, which is vastly different from that of a cellular setting, that GNRs are emerging as an ideal candidate for nano-based imaging applications. However, one challenge that has emerged in the field of bioimaging is the need to account for the observed plasmon coupling effect that arises from GNR agglomeration in a physiological environment. In this study, GNRs with aspect ratios of 2.5 and 6.0 were actively identified in an in vitro setting through a hyperspectral imaging (HSI) analysis; which successfully recognized and separated the light scattering pattern of these particles from that of the surrounding cells. Through inclusion of agglomerated GNR spectral patterns in the HSI library, this imaging technique was able to overcome the complication of plasmon coupling, though to varying degrees. Results indicated that the GNR transverse peak is not as impacted by plasmon coupling effect as the longitudinal, identifying it as a preferable target for imaging purposes. These results demonstrate the tremendous potential of GNRs coupled with HSI analysis to advance the field of nano-based sensing and imaging mechanisms.