In Situ Monitoring of Fluorescent Polymer Brushes by Angle-Scanning Based Surface Plasmon Coupled Emission

Abstract

Fluorescent polymers have attracted interest in many fields such as sensing, diagnostics, imaging, and organic electronic devices. Real-time techniques to monitor and understand the polymerization process are important for obtaining controllable fluorescence polymers. We present a new technique to in situ monitor the growth process of fluorescent polymer brushes by using angle-scanning based surface plasmon coupled emission (AS-SPCE) approach during electrochemically mediated atom-transfer radical polymerization. The polymer thickness was determined by modeling the location of SPCE emission angle(s) with theoretical calculation. The advantages of unique angle distribution patterns, thickness dependence and effective background rejection of AS-SPCE guarantee the success in the real-time investigation for controllable fabrication of fluorescent polymers.

Cellphone-Aided Attomolar Zinc Ion Detection Using Silkworm Protein-Based Nanointerface Engineering in a Plasmon-Coupled Dequenched Emission Platform

“…Lakowicz and co-workers in their pioneering work demonstrated the utility of AgNPs (obtained via Turkuvish citrate method) as a spacer layer to present 60-fold SPCE enhancements . Since then, numerous nanomaterials, nanocomposites, low-dimensional nanoarchitectures, and related nanoassemblies have been explored in SPCE to further augment the fluorescence enhancements. ,− ,, In the current work, we emphasize that a short time interval of the 1 min UV-exposed sample yields 45-, 50-, and 80-fold SPCE enhancements in spacer, cavity, and ext. cavity nanointerfaces, respectively.…”

“…15 Since then, numerous nanomaterials, nanocomposites, low-dimensional nanoarchitectures, and related nanoassemblies have been explored in SPCE to further augment the fluorescence enhancements. 16,[19][20][21][22][23][24]30,33 In the current work, we emphasize that a short time interval of the 1 min UV-exposed sample yields 45-, 50-, and 80-fold SPCE enhancements in spacer, cavity, and ext. cavity nanointerfaces, respectively.…”

“…This is performed by carefully understanding the hybrid interplasmonic coupling phenomena of fluorophore moieties with adjacently located plasmonic NPs and thin nanofilms. Ever since the pioneering work highlighting the usage of silver (Ag) NP spacer interface for 60-fold SPCE enhancements by Lakowicz and co-workers was reported, this methodology has presented new physicochemical insights concerning adsorption kinetics analysis, medical diagnostics, ,, molecular beacon, multianalyte sensing, mobile phone-based biosensing, polymerization processes, and efficient waveguides, to name a few. In spite of many comprehensive works in this direction, we believe that the wide-ranging applications from the robust combination of PEF and SPCE to realize unparalleled fluorescence enhancements are still in the nascent stage.…”

Surface Plasmon-Assisted Fluorescence Enhancing and Quenching: From Theory to Application

“…A highly sensitive immunoassay is also accomplished with a poly­( N -isopropylacryamide) (NIPAAm) hydrogel . With the use of SPCE, the polymerization process for a polymer brush on a gold substrate is monitored with real-time signaling . Besides, a graphene oxide-incorporated polymer matrix enables a highly sensitive immunoassay to perform successfully by SPCE .…”

Surface plasmon–coupled emission imaging for biological applications

“…For samples thicker than 100 nm, the coupling changes to plasmon waveguide resonance (PWR) mode [35,36]. There may be more than one directional radiation, depending on the thickness of fluorophores, with alternating s and p polarizations [25,37]. The PWR-mode SPCE is also of great significance in analysis and bioanalysis, including sensing the sample thickness and biomolecule bindings.…”