(March 18, 2015) Researchers
have fine-tuned a technique for coating gold nanorods with silica shells, allowing
engineers to create large quantities of the nanorods and giving them more
control over the thickness of the shell. Gold nanorods are being investigated
for use in a wide variety of biomedical applications, and this advance paves
the way for more stable gold nanorods and for chemically functionalizing the
surface of the shells.