Wet-Chemical Electro-Plasmonic Modulation of Metasurfaced Cell-Electrode Interfaces for Effective and Selective Entropic Killing of Cancer Cells.

Surface plasmons (SPs) of metallic nanostructures excited by optical ways have been extensively utilized for versatile sensing, biomedical, catalysis, and energy conversion applications. Nevertheless, utilizing the electrically excited plasmonic field (effect) of metallic nanostructures (and electrodes) in wet-chemical conditions, for catalytic and energy conversion, especially for potential biological and biomedical applications, is still poorly studied. Herein, we report a conceptual and biocompatible wet-chemical platform and approach to utilize the electrically excited plasmonic field (effect) of metasurfaced plasmonic electrodes (without light irradiation) for cell fate regulation on electrode surfaces. By using self-assembled two-dimensional (2D) ordered-plasmonic AuNP- or Au@SiO2 NP-nanomembrane as a metasurfaced electrode, the cancer cells cultured on it can be selectively and effectively killed (due to the enhanced stimulus current and related entropic effects) via wet-chemical electro-plasmonic modulation (WC-EPM) of the cell-electrode interfaces. Biological conformational and configurational entropic change information from the cell membrane during the WC-EPM of the cell-electrode interface has also been revealed by label-free in situ surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. The developed approach and results can be guides for the WC-EPM regulation of biological interfaces to achieve cell fate regulation and disease treatment and is also constructive for the design of 2D plasmonic nanomaterials and devices for efficient electrochemical energy conservation and biomedical applications.