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Distance Dependence of Metal-Enhanced Fluorescence

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Abstract

In recent years both the mechanism and applications of metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF) have attracted significant attention, yet many fundamental aspects of MEF remain unanswered or addressed. In this study, we address a fundamental aspect of MEF. Using fluorescein-labeled different length DNA scaffolds, covalently bound to silver nanodeposits, we have experimentally measured the distance dependence of the MEF effect. The enhanced fluorescence signatures, i.e., MEF, follow quite closely the theoretical decay of the near-field of the nanoparticles, calculated using finite difference time domain approaches. This implies that the mechanisms of MEF are partially underpinned by the magnitude and distribution of the electric field around near-field nanoparticles.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank MedImmune Inc., for financial support as well as the University of Maryland Baltimore County for salary contributions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Fluorescence and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Columbus Center, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 701 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD, 21202, USA

    Anatoliy I. Dragan & Chris D. Geddes

  2. MedImmune LLC, 1 MedImmune way, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA

    Eric S. Bishop, Jose R. Casas-Finet, Robert J. Strouse, James McGivney & Mark A. Schenerman

Authors
  1. Anatoliy I. Dragan
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  2. Eric S. Bishop
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  3. Jose R. Casas-Finet
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  4. Robert J. Strouse
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  5. James McGivney
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  6. Mark A. Schenerman
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  7. Chris D. Geddes
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Correspondence to Chris D. Geddes.

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Dragan, A.I., Bishop, E.S., Casas-Finet, J.R. et al. Distance Dependence of Metal-Enhanced Fluorescence. Plasmonics 7, 739–744 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11468-012-9366-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11468-012-9366-0

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