Plasmonic nanoparticle-doped silk materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9517357-B2
Application number	US-201113819419-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 3, 2011
Priority date	Sep 3, 2010
Publication date	Dec 13, 2016
Grant date	Dec 13, 2016

Abstract

Provided herein are silk fibroin-based photothermal elements and uses thereof. The silk fibroin-based photothermal elements comprise a plurality of plasmonic nanoparticle distributed in a silk fibroin matrix, and can generate heat when the plasmonic nanoparticles are exposed to electromagnetic radiation. The silk fibroin-based photothermal elements can be adapted to be conformable and biodegradable, and can further be integrated with various electronic components, such as a thermo-electric device for conversion of heat into electricity. The invention is useful for various in vivo applications, such as photothermal therapy, controlled drug-delivery devices or wireless powering of implanted micro-devices.

First claim

We claim:

1. A photothermal element comprising:
a plurality of plasmonic nanoparticles that generate heat when exposed to electromagnetic radiation; and
a silk fibroin matrix,
wherein the plurality of plasmonic nanoparticles is distributed within the silk fibroin matrix; and,
wherein the average diameter of the plurality of plasmonic nanoparticles is between about 5 nm and 100 nm.

2. The photothermal element of claim 1 , wherein the silk fibroin matrix is in a form of:
a wire, an optical fiber, a film, an ultrathin film, a gel, an injectable matrix, a coating, a vesicle, a sponge, a block, a porous structure or any combination thereof.

3. The photothermal element of claim 1 wherein the silk fibroin matrix has a thickness of 30 nm to 500 μm.

4. The photothermal element of claim 1 , wherein the photothermal element is adapted to conform to a surface upon contact with the surface.

5. The photothermal element of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of plasmonic nanoparticles are evenly dispersed within the silk fibroin matrix.

6. The photothermal element of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of plasmonic nanoparticles are distributed in a gradient within the silk fibroin matrix.

7. The photothermal element of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of plasmonic nanoparticles are distributed in a pattern, said pattern comprises an optical pattern, a micropattern, or a nanopattern.

8. The photothermal element of claim 1 , wherein the at least one plasmonic nanoparticle is selected from the group consisting of a nanosphere, a nanoshell, a nanorod, a nanocage, a nanocrystal, nanopowder, and any combinations thereof.

9. The photothermal element of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of plasmonic nanoparticles comprise at least one metal.

10. The photothermal element of claim 9 , wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of a noble metal, a non-noble metal, an oxide thereof, an alloy thereof, and any combinations thereof.

11. The photothermal element of claim 10 , wherein the noble metal is gold.

12. The photothermal element of claim 1 , further comprising a thermo-electric device.

13. The photothermal element of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of plasmonic nanoparticles and/or the silk fibroin matrix further comprises at least one active agent.

14. The photothermal element of claim 1 , further comprising at least one contrast-enhancing agent.

15. The photothermal element of claim 1 , wherein the silk fibroin matrix further comprises at least one optical pattern to modulate the electromagnetic radiation.

16. An implantable device comprising the photothermal element of claim 1 , wherein the implantable device is configured for in vivo photothermal therapy.

17. A photothermal-electric device comprising:
a photothermal element of claim 1 ; and
a thermoelectric device in contact with the photothermal element, wherein the thermoelectric device converts at least a portion of heat transferred from the photothermal element into electricity.

18. The photothermal-electric device of claim 17 , further comprising an electric circuit connected to the thermoelectric device to transmit the converted electricity as an output energy.

19. The photothermal-electric device of claim 17 , wherein the thermoelectric device comprises a thin-film thermoelectric material.

20. The photothermal-electric device of claim 17 , wherein the thermoelectric device is adapted to conform to a surface upon contact with the surface.

21. A wireless powering device comprising the photothermal-electric device of claim 17 .

22. The wireless powering device of claim 21 wherein the wireless powering device is adapted to conform to a surface upon contact with the surface.

23. The wireless powering device of claim 21 , wherein the wireless powering device is adapted to be implantable.

24. A method of photothermal therapy comprising:
(a) contacting an internal or external tissue with a silk fibroin-based photothermal element comprising a silk fibroin matrix and a plurality of plasmonic nanoparticles dispersed therein, wherein the silk fibroin-based photothermal element is adapted to conform to the tissue upon contact; and
(b) exposing the at least one plasmonic nanoparticle to electromagnetic radiation, wherein the at least one plasmonic nanoparticle generates heat upon irradiation, and wherein at least a portion of the generated heat is transferred to at least a portion of the tissue.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the silk fibroin-based photothermal element comprises at least one active agent.

26. The method of claim 24 , further comprising modulating the electromagnetic radiation,
wherein the modulation of the electromagnetic radiation is selected from the group consisting of:
modulating the intensity of a source of the electromagnetic radiation;
modulating the distribution of the source of the electromagnetic radiation;
applying at least one optical grating to the source of the electromagnetic radiation;
varying the wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation; and
any combinations thereof.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the at least one optical grating is adapted to localize the heat generation.

28. A method of generating electricity comprising:
(a) providing a photothermal element comprising a silk fibroin matrix, the silk fibroin matrix comprising at least one plasmonic nanoparticle that absorbs radiation to generate heat when irradiated with electromagnetic radiation, and a thermoelectric device in contact with the photothermal element;
(b) irradiating the photothermal element with electromagnetic radiation, wherein the thermoelectric device converts at least a portion of the heat transferred from the photothermal element into electricity.

29. The method of claim 28 , further comprising modulating the electromagnetic radiation,
wherein the modulation of the electromagnetic radiation is selected from the group consisting of:
modulating the intensity of a source of the electromagnetic radiation;
modulating the distribution of the source of the electromagnetic radiation;
applying at least one optical grating to the source of the electromagnetic radiation;
varying the wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation; and
any combinations thereof.

30. The method of claim 28 , wherein the method is adapted for an in vivo application.

31. The method of claim 28 , further comprising connecting the thermoelectric device with an electric circuit to transmit at least a portion of the generated electricity as an output energy.

Assignees

• Omenetto Fiorenzo
• Kaplan David L
• Tao Hu
• Univ Tufts

Inventors

• Omenetto Fiorenzo
• Kaplan David L
• Tao Hu

Classifications

• A61P35/00

  Antineoplastic agents · CPC title

• A61L31/14

  Materials characterised by their function or physical properties {, e.g. injectable or lubricating compositions, shape-memory materials, surface modified materials} · CPC title

• Y10T428/268

  Monolayer with structurally defined element · CPC title

• A61L31/005

  Ingredients of undetermined constitution or reaction products thereof · CPC title

• A61L31/125

  having a macromolecular matrix · CPC title