production of the nanoshells are the following; Tetraethyl orthosilicate, ammonium hydroxide, hydroxylamine hydrochloride, 3-aminopropyl tris, hydrogentetrachloroaurate(III) trihydrate, tetrakis(hydroxymethyl) phosphonium chloride, sodium hydroxide, potassium carbonate, ethanol, Ultrapure water and glassware washed in aqua regia and rinsed thoroughly in water.) The first step in synthesizing nanoshells in this method is by creating the device for the reaction to take place within. Microfluidic device patterns were fabricated onto silicon wafers by standard photolithography using negative photoresist SU-8 2050. Devices were subsequently molded in poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) using the soft lithography technique.(40) Briefly, PDMS was molded onto the SU-8 masters at 70 °C for 4 h, peeled, cut, and cleaned. Inlet and outlet holes (1/16-in. o.d.) were punched into the device. The microchannels were irreversibly bonded to a glass slide precoated with a thin layer of PDMS after a brief 35 s air plasma treatment. The microchannels have rectangular cross-section and are 300 μm wide, 155 μm deep, and 0.45 m long. The actual production of the nanoparticles involves pumping "silicone oil, a mixture of gold-seeded silica particles and gold-plating solution and reducing agent solution to the microfluidic device while nitrogen gas was delivered from a cylinder." The plating solution was then left to age, in a controlled environment, for longer than 24 hours. After the aging process, the fluid is collected from the Microfluidic Device and placed in a centrifuge. The resulting liquid has a layer of oil on the surface with a solution below that contains the nanoshells. The reason this method is revolutionary is that the size and relative thickness of the gold nanoshell can be controlled by changing the amount of time the reaction is allowed to take place as well as the concentration of the plating solution. Thereby allowing researchers to tailor the particles to suit their given needs. Albeit for optics or cancer treatment. Cancer treatment Gold-shelled nanoparticles, which are spherical nanoparticles with silica and/or liposome cores and gold shells, are used in cancer therapy and bio-imaging enhancement. Theranostic probes – capable of detection and treatment of cancer in a single treatment - are nanoparticles that have binding sites on their shell that allow them to attach to a desired location (typically cancerous cells) then can be imaged through dual modality imagery (an imaging strategy that uses x-rays and radionuclide imaging) and through near-infrared fluorescence. The reason gold nanoparticles are used is due to their vivid optical properties