Figure 3.

(A) Polymersomes with Nile red and 0.066% (w/v) AuNPs encapsulated in the hydrophobic region of the membrane, prior to laser irradiation. (B) The polymersome indicated by the white arrow was irradiated with a single 532 nm fs pulse and immediately imaged. Complete rupture of the polymersome is observed while the surrounding vesicles remain intact. Scale bar represents 20 µm. (C) Rupture statistics for polymersomes upon femtosecond irradiation. Rupture frequency of polymersomes with AuNPs within the membrane (gold) and without AuNPs (black) are shown. These percentages represent the number of vesicles undergoing complete rupture upon irradiation by a single 532 nm fs pulse at the specified energies. A minimum of 20 vesicles were irradiated per pulse energy. (D) Rupture statistics for polymersomes using nanosecond irradiation. The percentage of polymersomes rupturing in response to varying ns pulse energies was determined for populations of vesicles with (gold) and without (black) AuNPs in the membrane. These percentages represent complete rupture upon irradiation by a single 532 nm, ns pulse at the specified energies.