Photoswitchable bactericidal effects from novel silica-coated silver nanoparticles

The enhancement of the electromagnetic field in the surroundings of nanoparticles via surface plasmon resonance offers promising possibilities for biomedical applications. Here we report on the selective triggering of antibacterial activity using a new type of silver nanoparticles coated with silica, Ag@silica, irradiated at their surface plasmon frequency. The nanoparticles are able to bind readily to the surface of bacterial cells, although this does not affect bacterial growing since the silica shell largely attenuates the intrinsic toxicity of silver. However, upon simultaneous exposure to light corresponding to the absorption band of the nanoparticles, bacterial death is triggered selectively on the irradiated zone. Because of the low power density used in the treatments, we discard thermal effects as the cause of cell killing. Instead, we propose that the switched toxicity is due to the enhanced electromagnetic field in the proximity of the nanoparticles, which either directly (through membrane perturbation) or indirectly (through induced photochemical reactions) is able to cause cell death.