title: Theoretical study on the possible use of SiC microparticles as photothermal agents for the heating of bacteria.
abstract: Gold nanoparticles exhibiting surface plasmon resonances have been considered as photothermal agents for the selective destruction of bacteria by visible to near-infrared radiation. Here, we consider theoretically the possible complementary use of sub-micron silicon carbide (SiC) particles as photothermal agents for the heating of bacteria by pulsed mid-infrared (MIR) radiation. A SiC microparticle can exhibit surface phonon resonances in the MIR. Similar to the effect of surface plasmon resonances in gold nanoparticles, this could lead to enhanced absorption at the resonant wavelength and strong heating of the microparticle locally. If the heating is sufficient, this might lead to damage of bacterial cells adjacent to SiC particles. We estimate the heating of sub-micron SiC particles in a water medium under various pulse lengths of radiation at wavelength 10.6 μm. Noting that SiC is being investigated as a biocompatible material that could be functionalized for biomedical applications, and that an appropriately roughened SiC surface could be expected to exhibit similar surface phonon resonances, we speculate that enhanced heating under MIR radiation may be useful for in vitro sterilization of such surfaces.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Petrie
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D017554:Carbon Compounds, Inorganic / Q000737:chemistry*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008863:Microspheres; D008956:Models, Chemical; D010777:Photochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D017655:Silicon Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D013242:Sterilization / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D017554:Carbon Compounds, Inorganic; D017655:Silicon Compounds; C022088:silicon carbide