Week 8: Nanotechnology + Art

As Dr. Gimzewski mentioned in Lecture 4, nanotechnology has played a major role in medicine. Surprisingly enough, this week's topic had a lot to do with the research I am doing at UCLA. My undergraduate research has to do with trying to use plasmonic sensors as a means of biosensing [1]. Unlike most traditional sensors, the ones we use in the lab are fabricated by stamping an array of nanoparticles onto a plastic-like material and covering these nanostructures with a thin layer of gold. As seen in Figure 1, each square is what my lab defines as a single ‘sensor.’ What makes these sensors attractive in biosensing is their sensitively to even the most minute changes to their surface [2,3].

Figure 1: Plasmonic sensors of the Ozcan lab 

You’ll notice that each of the sensors are different colors. The different colors are due to the dichroic effect within each gold nanoparticle array. Interestingly, this is the same phenomena that can be observed in the ancient Lycurgus cup (Figure 2) made by the Romans in 400 A.D. [4]

Figure 2: Lycurgus cup with the absence of light shining through (left) and with light shining through (right)

The famous cup has been known to change colors upon holding it in different angles. Like the plasmonic sensors in our lab, the cup achieves this because the artists had to meticulously arrange nanoparticles of gold and silver throughout the glass material [4]. As one could imagine, the multitude of nanoparticles that line that line the Lycurgus cup give rise to hundreds of angles that light could hit the surface. Therefore, the variability of angles that light shines on the surface give rise to the different colors observed. The same effect is also what gives rise to the beautiful colors seen on stained glass ceilings as seen in Figure 3 [5]. Hence, we see how these gold nanoparticles are used in applications in medicine and art. 

Figure 3: Stained glass ceilings also display the dichroic effect

Images
1. Image taken at my lab
2. Kaushik. “Lycurgus Cup: A Piece of Ancient Roman Nanotechnology.” Amusing Planet, 2017, www.amusingplanet.com/2016/12/lycurgus-cup-piece-of-ancient-roman.html.
3.Trippy. “PHOTOS: Breathtaking Stained-Glass Ceilings Around The World.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 16 Jan. 2013, www.huffingtonpost.com/trippy/stained-glass-ceilings-photos_b_2073761.html.

Sources

1. Computational Sensing Using Low-Cost and Mobile Plasmonic Readers Designed by Machine Learning Zachary S. Ballard, Daniel Shir, Aashish Bhardwaj, Sarah Bazargan, Shyama Sathianathan, and Aydogan Ozcan ACS Nano 2017 11 (2), 2266-2274DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.7b00105
2. Heip, H. M.; et al. (2007). "A localized surface plasmon resonance based immunosensor for the detection of casein in milk". Science and Technology of Advanced Materials. 8 (4): 331–338. Bibcode:2007STAdM...8..331M. doi:10.1016/j.stam.2006.12.010.
3. Singh P. (2017) LSPR Biosensing: Recent Advances and Approaches. In: Geddes C. (eds) Reviews in Plasmonics 2016. Reviews in Plasmonics, vol 2016. Springer, Cham

4. Kubetz, Rick. “The World's Most Sensitive Plasmon Resonance Sensor Inspired by Ancient Roman Cup.” Illinois College of Engineering, University of Illinois Board of Trustees, 14 Feb. 2013, engineering.illinois.edu/news/article/2013-02-14-worlds-most-sensitive-plasmon-resonance-sensor-inspired-ancient-roman-cup.

5. Hess, Catherine (2005). Looking at Glass: A Guide to Terms, Styles, and Techniques. Getty Publications. p. 26. ISBN 978-0-89236-750-4.