ArticleChemistryFabrication of superstable gold nanorod-carbon nanocapsule as a molecule loading material

In this work, we fabricated a monodisperse nanocomposite by coating gold nanorods (AuNRs) with a layer of biocompatible, stable carbon, obtaining AuNR@Carbon core-shell nanocapsules, which without any functionalization could be used as a molecule loading material due to its high surface areas. In this system, the AuNR core had a high-absorption cross section for conversion of near-infrared light to heat, which could be explored for local hyperthermia. The carbon shell, which was biocompatible and stable even under concentrated acidic and alkaline conditions, was able to adsorb molecules with π-π interactions or electrostatic interactions. In comparison with AuNR@SiO2, AuNR@Carbon nanocapsules demonstrate the following merits: (1) simple and green synthesis method, (2) far more stable with respect to high-temperature stability and (3) larger molecule loading capacity, which indicate great potential in the biomedical applications.