In this paper, we describe how it is possible to harness the photo-thermal effects occurring in metallic nanoparticles to develop molecular sensors. In particular, we numerically demonstrate how a change of the surrounding medium affects the localized surface plasmon resonance with a consequent shift of the corresponding resonance wavelength, enabling the detection of analytes on metal nanospheres. At the same time, the photothermal response of the nanostructures is modified because of the shift of the plasmonic resonance due to the variation of the refractive index of the host medium. By monitoring the photothermal response, it is possible to quantify the concentration of the analytes binding at the metal nanoparticle surface.

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