Efficient AuFeOx Nanoclusters of Laser-Ablated Nanoparticles in Water for Cells Guiding and Surface-Enhanced Resonance Raman Scattering Imaging

Nanoclusters with plasmonic and magnetic properties are obtained with naked gold (AuNP) and iron oxide nanoparticles (FeOxNP) separately synthesized by laser ablation in water and simply assembled by using their opposite surface charges. Controlling the amount of AuNP and FeOxNP, we obtained nanoclusters with both good surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) signals and superparamagnetic properties. Nanoclusters are incubated with murine macrophage cells which, after mixing with other macrophages, can be magnetically guided in solution by sorting them in less than 10 min. SERRS signals, observed at the single cell level, were recorded for the sorted macrophages, showing that the nanoclusters are active also in a biological environment and allow the identification of the incubated macrophage cells.