Electrophoretic Mechanism of Au25(SR)18 Heating in Radiofrequency Fields.

Gold nanoparticles in radiofrequency (RF) fields have been observed to heat. There is some debate over the mechanism of heating. Au25(SR)18 in RF is studied for the mechanistic insights obtainable from precise synthetic control over exact charge, size, and spin for this nanoparticle. An electrophoretic mechanism can adequately account for the observed heat. This study adds a new level of understanding to gold particle heating experiments, allowing for the first time a conclusive connection between theoretical and experimentally observed heating rates.