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Size-Dependent Surface Enhanced Fluorescence of Gold Nanorod: Enhancement or Quenching

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Abstract

The size-dependent surface enhanced fluorescence (SEF) of a gold nanorod (GNR) on a vicinal molecule is studied systematically by using the multiple multipole method. The enhancement factors (EFs) of GNRs of different sizes (radius: a = 7 or 10 nm) with the same aspect ratio (AR), e.g., 3 or 3.43, on the fluorescence of a molecule at different locations with various orientations excited at the longitudinal surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of a GNR are discussed in detail. The numerical results show that the EF of a GNR is sensitive not only to the molecular location and orientation but also to the size. The effective EF (EEF), the average of the EF over all possible orientations at a specific location, is further calculated. According to the EEF, the proximity of the end-cap of a GNR is a strong enhancing zone, while the waist area of the GNR is a relatively weak zone. Moreover, for the same AR, the EEF of a bigger GNR (a ≥ 10 nm) is larger than that of a smaller one. Hence, the SEF performance of a bigger GNR on the fluorescence can be a very strong enhancement if the molecule is close to the end-cup excited at the longitudinal SPR. On the contrary, the performance of a smaller GNR could be a quenching if the molecule is near the waist. In addition, the Stokes-shift effect of fluorescence on the EF is also discussed.

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Abbreviations

ACS:

Absorption cross section

AR:

Aspect ratio

ECS:

Extinction cross section

EEF:

Effective enhancement factor

EF:

Enhancement factor

EM:

Electromagnetic

FDTD:

Finite difference time domain

FRET:

Forster resonance energy transfer

GNR:

Gold nanorod

MEF:

Mean enhancement factor

MMP:

Multiple multipole

NIR:

Near-infrared

NP:

Nanoparticle

SCS:

Scattering cross section

SEF:

Surface enhanced fluorescence

SPR:

Surface plasmon resonance

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Acknowledgments

The research was supported by National Science Council, Taiwan, R.O.C. (NSC 99-2221-E-182-030-MY3) and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (CMRPD290041).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chang Gung University, 259 Wen-Hwa 1st Rd., Kwei-Shan, Tao-Yuan, 333, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Jiunn-Woei Liaw

  2. Center for Biomedical Engineering, Chang Gung University, 259 Wen-Hwa 1st Rd., Kwei-Shan, Tao-Yuan, 333, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Jiunn-Woei Liaw

  3. Institute of Applied Mechanics, National Taiwan University, 1 Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei, 106, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Hsiao-Yen Tsai & Chun-Hui Huang

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  1. Jiunn-Woei Liaw
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  2. Hsiao-Yen Tsai
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  3. Chun-Hui Huang
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Correspondence to Jiunn-Woei Liaw.

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Liaw, JW., Tsai, HY. & Huang, CH. Size-Dependent Surface Enhanced Fluorescence of Gold Nanorod: Enhancement or Quenching. Plasmonics 7, 543–553 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11468-012-9341-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11468-012-9341-9

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