 heterogenous formations. The process of assembly is directed via linkers with which AuNPs are functionalized, and those that have demonstrated the most success include DNA molecules^[@CR29]^, organic ligands^[@CR30]^ and linear^[@CR31]^ and branched polymers^[@CR23]^.

Moving beyond assembly, the next capability that would greatly enhance the functionality of these assemblies is responsiveness to external stimuli. Tuning the spectral position of the LSPR *in situ* is one approach, usually achieved by modulating the dielectric constant of the medium surrounding the AuNPs^[@CR32],[@CR33]^. The other is utilizing the photothermal effect, where resonant optical excitation is absorbed by the AuNPs, which heats the crystal lattice, in turn transferring the heat to the surrounding medium. This phenomenon has potential application in targeted drug delivery, and such systems with release mechanisms that can be remotely triggered using stimuli such as electric and magnetic fields, as well as optical excitation, have been the subject of extensive research^[@CR34]--[@CR41]^. In case of optical actuation, the power, wavelength, and duration of incident light required is strongly dependent on the components used for construction of the capsule. And while it is critical for the capsules to provide robust leakage-free containment, the excitation power used to trigger release must be below the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) maximum permissible exposure limit. For visible excitation at \~500 nm, this limit is 2.5 mW for up to 10 min of illumination^[@CR42]^. Optimizing these parameters simultaneously is challenging. One approach using silica-gold core-shell composite NPs for encapsulation and light-activated release utilizes 15--100 mW of illumination over tens of minutes^[@CR34]^. AuNP-assembled nano-micelles and cross-linked nano-vesicles can release contents in under 10 min of excitation, but require higher powers (100--250 mW)^[@CR35]^. With few exceptions^[@CR36]^, composite structures and complexes