Surface enhanced Raman scattering of p-aminothiophenol self-assembled monolayers in sandwich structure fabricated on glass

A sandwich structure consisting of Ag nanoparticles (NPs), p-aminothiophenol (p-ATP) self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), and Ag NPs was fabricated on glass and characterized by surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The SERS spectrum of a p-ATP SAM in such sandwich structure shows that the electromagnetic enhancement is greater than that on Ag NPs assembled on glass. The obtained enhancement factors (EF) on solely one sandwich structure were as large as 6.0 +/- 0.62x10(4) and 1.2 +/- 0.62x10(7) for the 7a and 3b(b(2)) vibration modes, respectively. The large enhancement effect of p-ATP SAMs is likely a result of plasmon coupling between the two layers of Ag NP (localized surface plasmon) resonance, creating a large localized electromagnetic field at their interface, where p-ATP resides. Moreover, the fact that large EF values (similar to 1.9 +/- 0.7x10(4) and 9.4 +/- 0.7x10(6) for the 7a- and b(2)-type vibration modes, respectively) were also obtained on a single sandwich structure of Au NPs/p-ATP SAMs/Ag NPs in the visible demonstrates that the electromagnetic coupling does not exist only between Ag NPs but also between Au and Ag NPs.

Kinetic analysis of TNF immune complex by using surface plasmon resonane

The kinetic analysis of the interaction between tumor necrosis factor(TNF) and its monoclonal antibody was performed by surface plasmon resonance(SPR) technique. The monoclonal antibody was immobilized to the surface of CM5 sensor chip by amine coupling. TNF at different concentrations was injected across the mAb immobilized surface. The interaction was recorded in real time and could be seen on the sensorgram. One cycle, including association, dissociation and regeneration, lasted no more than 15 min. The interaction results was evaluated using 1 : 1 Langmuir binding model. The kinetic rate constants were calculated to be: k =1.68 X 10(3) L (.) mol(-1) (.) s(-1), k(d) = 1.73 X 10(-4) s(-1), and the affinity constants K-A = 9. 7 X 10(3) L (.) mol(-1), K-r)= 1. 03 X 10(-7) Mol (.) L-1. The X-2 was 3.47, which showed that the interaction is consistent with the 1 : I model. We can see from the results that although there are two binding sites in one mAb molecule, TNF reacts with each site in an independent and noncooperative manner.

Tunable optical properties of nano-Au on vanadium dioxide

The optical properties of Au nanoparticles deposited on thermochromic thin films of VO2 are investigated using spectroscopy. A localized modification on the transmittance spectrum of VO2 film is formed due to the presence of Au nanoparticles which exhibit localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) in the visible-near IR region. The position of the modification wavelength region shows a strong dependence on the Au mass thickness and shifts toward the red as it increases. On the other hand, it was found that the LSPR of Au nanoparticles can be thermally tunable because of the thermochromism of the supporting material of VO2. The LSPR wavelength, lambda(SPR), shifts to the blue with increasing temperature, and shifts back to the red as temperature decreases. A fine tuning is achieved when the temperature is increased in a stepwise manner.

The plasmon resonance absorption of Ag/SiO2 nanocomposite films

The plasmon resonance absorption of the Ag/SiO2 nanocomposite film is investigated. The measured absorption spectra are compared with those calculated by the Mie theory. The results indicate that the Mie theory on the basis of classical electrodynamics can only partially explain the optical absorption spectra of the Ag/SiO2 nanocomposite film. We believe that the plasmon resonance absorption is mainly an intrinsic quality of the metal particle, and can be explained only with the electronic structure of the metal particle. In the latter, surface resonance state is introduced to systematically discuss the optical absorption spectra of the Ag/SiO2 nanocomposite film. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of ambient atmosphere on the plasmon resonance absorption of Ag/SiOx(0 <= x <= 2) nanocomposite film

Nanocomposite films consisting of nanosized Ag particles embedded in partially oxidized amorphous Si-containing matrices were prepared by radio frequency magnetron co-sputtering deposition. We studied the influence of ambient atmosphere during the preparation and heat-treatment of Ag/SiOx (0 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 2) nanocompositefilm on its optical absorption properties. We found that the plasmon resonance absorption peak shifts to shorter wavelengths with the increasing oxygen content in the SiOx matrix. The analysis indicates that the potential barrier between Ag nanoparticles and SiOx matrix increases with the increasing x value, which will induce the surface resonance state to shift to higher energy. The electrons in the vicinity of the Fermi level of Ag nanoparticles must absorb more energy to be transferred to the surface resonance state with the increasing x value. It was also found that the plasmon resonance absorption peaks of the samples annealed in different ambient atmospheres are located at about the same position. This is because the oxidation surface layer is dense enough to prevent the oxygen from penetrating into the sample to oxidize the silicon in the inner layer.

Fine structure of the plasmon resonance absorption peak of Ag nanoparticles embedded in partially oxidized Si matrix

Ag/Si nanocomposite films were prepared by the radio-frequency magnetron cosputtering method. The fine structure of the plasmon resonance absorption peak was found in film samples. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis indicated that the samples were composed of a two-layer structure, which accounted for the structure of the optical absorption spectra. The peak located near 445 nm is the plasmon resonance absorption peak of Ag nanoparticles embedded in a partially oxidized Si matrix. Its intensity decreases with decreasing film thickness and disappears in a very thin sample. The peak located near 380 nm originates from the plasmon resonance absorption of the thoroughly oxidized surface layer of the sample. Its intensity does not change with increasing thickness, but it cannot be observed in the very thick sample. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.

The plasmon resonance absorption of Ag/SiO2 nanocomposite films

The plasmon resonance absorption of the Ag/SiO2 nanocomposite film is investigated. The measured absorption spectra are compared with those calculated by the Mie theory. The results indicate that the Mie theory on the basis of classical electrodynamics can only partially explain the optical absorption spectra of the Ag/SiO2 nanocomposite film. We believe that the plasmon resonance absorption is mainly an intrinsic quality of the metal particle, and can be explained only with the electronic structure of the metal particle. In the latter, surface resonance state is introduced to systematically discuss the optical absorption spectra of the Ag/SiO2 nanocomposite film. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Flat Surface Plasmon Polariton Bands in Bragg Grating Waveguide for Slow Light

The formations of the surface plasmonpolariton (SPP) bands in metal/air/metal (MAM) sub-wavelength plasmonic grating waveguide (PGW) are proposed. The band gaps originating from the highly localized resonances inside the grooves can be simply estimated from the round trip phase condition. Due to the overlap of the localized SPPs between the neighboring grooves, a Bloch mode forms in the bandgap and can be engineered to build a very flat dispersion for slow light. A chirped PGW with groove depth varying is also demonstrated to trap light, which is validated by finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations with both continuous and pulse excitations.

Surface charge influence on the surface plasmon absorbance of electroactive thiol-protected gold nanoparticles

Gold nanoparticles (3.1-5.0 nm in size) surface-derivatized with both electroactive and nonelectroactive self-assembled monolayers were synthesized. The surface-derivatized electroactive particles can be easily oxidized/reduced at an electrode surface based on the diffusion-controlled current-voltage curve observed in cyclic voltammetry measurements. Spectroelectrochemical investigation demonstrated that the maximum absorbance of the nanoparticles in their oxidized state red-shifted compared with their reduced state to a different extent according to their size distribution. In the case of the particles surface-derivatized with nonelectroactive monolayers, much less shift was observed. This study showed that surface plasmon absorbance of gold nanoparticles was not only related to core charge states but was also influenced by surface charge states as well.

Quantifying Cell Binding Kinetics Mediated By Surface-Bound Blood Type B Antigen To Immobilized Antibodies

Cell adhesion is crucial to many biological processes, such as inflammatory responses, tumor metastasis and thrombosis formation. Recently a commercial surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based BIAcore biosensor has been extended to determine cell binding mediated by surface-bound biomolecular interactions. How such cell binding is quantitatively governed by kinetic rates and regulating factors, however, has been poorly understood. Here we developed a novel assay to determine the binding kinetics of surface-bound biomolecular interactions using a commercial BIAcore 3000 biosensor. Human red blood cells (RBCs) presenting blood group B antigen and CM5 chip bearing immobilized anti-B monoclonal antibody (mAb) were used to obtain the time courses of response unit, or sensorgrams, when flowing RBCs over the chip surface. A cellular kinetic model was proposed to correlate the sensorgrams with kinetic rates. Impacts of regulating factors, such as cell concentration, flow duration and rate, antibody-presenting level, as well as pH value and osmotic pressure of suspending medium were tested systematically, which imparted the confidence that the approach can be applied to kinetic measurements of cell adhesion mediated by surface-bound biomolecular interactions. These results provided a new insight into quantifying cell binding using a commercial SPR-based BIAcore biosensor.

Probing single-molecule by surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering with linearly and circularly polarized laser

Rhodamine 6G (R6G) was incubated in silver sols with different low concentrations and its surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) spectra, excited by linearly and circularly polarized light, respectively, were studied. At the single-molecule level the SERRS spectra were recorded in 10(-13) M dye colloidal solution. Spectral inhomogeneous behaviors from single-molecule were observed such as spectral polarization, spectral diffusion and intensity fluctuations of vibrational lines. Difference between SERRS spectra of R6G excited by linearly and circularly polarized light and the effect of the polarizing angle of Raman signal relative to the slit of spectrograph on the Raman spectral polarization were analyzed and measured experimentally. Circularly polarized laser and the correction of the polarizing angle of Raman signal are necessary to avoid fake results in the measuring of Raman spectral of single-molecule, which was not noticed in initial papers. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Single-molecule detection in a liquid by surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering

Surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) of Rhodamine 6G (R6G) adsorbed on colloidal silver clusters in a liquid has been studied. The first observation of single molecule resonance Raman scattering in a liquid in a probed volume of 10 pL was achieved. Anisotropy of SERRS spectra of single R6G molecule and huge SERRS spectra were observed and compared with that of single molecule fixed in the dried films of sols, which revealed the intricate complex interaction between R6G molecules and the environment in a liquid.

Surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering spectroscopy of single R6G molecules

Surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) of Rhodamine 6G (R6G) adsorbed on colloidal silver clusters has been studied. Based on the great enhancement of the Raman signal and the quench of the fluorescence, the SERRS spectra of R6G were recorded for the samples of dye colloidal solution with different concentrations. Spectral inhomogeneity behaviours from single molecules in the dried sample films were observed with complementary evidences, such as spectral polarization, spectral diffusion, intensity fluctuation of vibrational lines and even "breathing" of the molecules. Sequential spectra observed from a liquid sample with an average of 0.3 dye molecules in the probed volume exhibited the expected Poisson distribution for actually measuring 0, 1 or 2 molecules. Difference between the SERRS spectra of R6G excited by linearly and circularly polarized light were experimentally measured.

Effects of the morphology of ZnO/Ag interface on the surface-plasmon-enhanced emission of ZnO films

The effects of the surface morphology of Ag on the surface-plasmon-enhanced emission of ZnO films have been studied for a ZnO/Ag/Si system by photoluminescence spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. The results indicate that the enhancement of ZnO ultraviolet emission is dependent on the deposition conditions of the Ag interlayers. By examining the dependence of the enhancement ratio of surface-plasmon-mediated emission on the characteristic parameters of Ag surface morphology, we found that the surface plasmon coupling to light is determined by both the Ag particle size and density.

Surface plasmon enhanced ultraviolet emission from ZnO films deposited on Ag/Si(001) by magnetron sputtering

The ZnO films were grown on Ag/Si(001) substrates by sputtering Ag and ZnO targets successively in a pure Ar ambient. A significant enhancement of ZnO ultraviolet emission and a reduction of its full width of half maximum have been observed while introducing a 100 nm Ag interlayer between ZnO film and Si substrate. Furthermore, a complete suppression of the defect related visible emission was also found for the ZnO/Ag/Si sample. This improved optical performance of ZnO is attributed to the resonant coupling between Ag surface plasmon and ultraviolet emission of ZnO. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.