Abstract
The presence of a conducting metal surface is known to affect the emission of a fluorophore in its proximity. This can lead to an enhancement in its fluorescence intensity along with a decrease in the fluorescence lifetime. This phenomenon, sometimes known as metal enhanced fluorescence, has implications in the area of sensing and “lab on a chip” applications. Here controlled, localised use of metallic structures can be advantageous in enhancing the detection of a fluorescent signal. The sol–gel technique has been demonstrated as a useful method by which to produce a biocompatible material. The versatility of the reaction allows for the inclusion of metal ions, which can form metallic nanostructures permitting the potential enhancement of fluorescence to be exhibited. In this work we incorporate silver nitrate within silica sol–gel derived films produced using a simple procedure at relative low temperatures (close to ambient).
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 14720-14726 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics |
Volume | 12 |
Issue number | 44 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2010 |
Keywords
- fluorescence tagged protein
- laser irradiation
- silver nanostructures
- physical chemistry