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Sample records for silver-enhanced fluorescence emission

  1. Metal-enhanced fluorescence exciplex emission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yongxia; Mali, Buddha L; Geddes, Chris D

    2012-01-01

    In this letter, we report the first observation of metal-enhanced exciplex fluorescence, observed from anthracene in the presence of diethylaniline. Anthracene in the presence of diethylaniline in close proximity to Silver Island Films (SIFs) shows enhanced monomer and exciplex emission as compared to a non-silvered control sample containing no silver nanoparticles. Our findings suggest two complementary methods for the enhancement: (i) surface plasmons can radiate coupled monomer and exciplex fluorescence efficiently, and (ii) enhanced absorption (enhanced electric near-field) further facilitates enhanced emission. Our exciplex studies help us to further understand the complex photophysics of the metal-enhanced fluorescence technology. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Silver-graphene oxide based plasmonic spacer for surface plasmon-coupled fluorescence emission enhancements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badiya, Pradeep Kumar; Srinivasan, Venkatesh; Sathish Ramamurthy, Sai

    2017-06-01

    We report the application of single layered graphene oxide (SLGO) and silver decorated SLGO (Ag-SLGO) as plasmonic spacer material for obtaining enhanced fluorescence from a Rhodamine 6G (Rh6G) radiating dipole in a surface plasmon-coupled emission platform. To this end, we have decorated SLGO with biphasic silver nanoparticles using an in situ deposition technique to achieve 112-fold fluorescence enhancements.

  3. Plasmon enhanced silver quantum cluster fluorescence for biochemical applications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bernard, S.; Kutter, J.P.; Mogensen, Klaus Bo

    2014-01-01

    Fluorescence microscopy of individual silver quantum clusters on the surface of silver nanoparticles reveals strong photoactivated emission under blue light excitation [1-4]. In this work, silver nanoparticles are produced by annealing silver thin films deposited on a glass substrate and silver q...... purposes. It was found, that in presence of a strong nucleophile (such as CN-), silver quantum clusters are dissolved into non-fluorescing AgCN complexes, resulting in a fast and observable decrease of the fluorescent signal....

  4. Enhanced efficiency of a fluorescing nanoparticle with a silver shell

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choy, Wallace C H; Chen Xuewen [Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road (Hong Kong); He Sailing [Centre for Optical and Electromagnetic Research, Zhejiang University, Zhijingang campus, Hangzhou 310058 (China)], E-mail: chchoy@eee.hku.hk

    2009-09-01

    Spontaneous emission (SE) rate and the fluorescence efficiency of a bare fluorescing nanoparticle (NP) and the NP with a silver nanoshell are analyzed rigorously by using a classical electromagnetic approach with the consideration of the nonlocal effect of the silver nano-shell. The dependences of the SE rate and the fluorescence efficiency on the core-shell structure are carefully studied and the physical interpretations of the results are addressed. The results show that the SE rate of a bare NP is much slower than that in the infinite medium by almost an order of magnitude and consequently the fluorescence efficiency is usually low. However, by encapsulating the NP with a silver shell, highly efficient fluorescence can be achieved as a result of a large Purcell enhancement and high out-coupling efficiency (OQE) for a well-designed core-shell structure. We also show that a higher SE rate may not offer a larger fluorescence efficiency since the fluorescence efficiency not only depends on the internal quantum yield but also the OQE.

  5. Enhancement of single-molecule fluorescence signals by colloidal silver nanoparticles in studies of protein translation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bharill, Shashank; Chen, Chunlai; Stevens, Benjamin; Kaur, Jaskiran; Smilansky, Zeev; Mandecki, Wlodek; Gryczynski, Ignacy; Gryczynski, Zygmunt; Cooperman, Barry S; Goldman, Yale E

    2011-01-25

    Metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF) increased total photon emission of Cy3- and Cy5-labeled ribosomal initiation complexes near 50 nm silver particles 4- and 5.5-fold, respectively. Fluorescence intensity fluctuations above shot noise, at 0.1-5 Hz, were greater on silver particles. Overall signal-to-noise ratio was similar or slightly improved near the particles. Proximity to silver particles did not compromise ribosome function, as measured by codon-dependent binding of fluorescent tRNA, dynamics of fluorescence resonance energy transfer between adjacent tRNAs in the ribosome, and tRNA translocation induced by elongation factor G.

  6. Enhancement of Single Molecule Fluorescence Signals by Colloidal Silver Nanoparticles in Studies of Protein Translation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bharill, Shashank; Chen, Chunlai; Stevens, Benjamin; Kaur, Jaskiran; Smilansky, Zeev; Mandecki, Wlodek; Gryczynski, Ignacy; Gryczynski, Zygmunt; Cooperman, Barry S.; Goldman, Yale E.

    2011-01-01

    Metal enhanced fluorescence (MEF) increased total photon emission of Cy3- and Cy5-labeled ribosomal initiation complexes near 50 nm silver particles 4- and 5.5-fold respectively. Fluorescence intensity fluctuations above shot noise, at 0.1 – 5 Hz, were greater on silver particles. Overall signal to noise ratio was similar or slightly improved near the particles. Proximity to silver particles did not compromise ribosome function, as measured by codon-dependent binding of fluorescent tRNA, dynamics of fluorescence resonance energy transfer between adjacent tRNAs in the ribosome, and tRNA translocation induced by elongation factor G. PMID:21158483

  7. Fluorescence enhancement of modified silver nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Meicen; Zhang, Zhenglong; Liu, Gaining; Dong, Jun; Sun, Yu; Zheng, Hairong; Li, Guian

    2011-11-01

    Surface enhanced fluorescence (SEF) effect of acridine orange fluorophore in the proximity of silver nanoparticles (NPs) has been investigated experimentally in the aqueous solution system. It was found that the SEF effect could be influenced by the distribution of the NPs and the separation between the fluorophore molecule and metal surface. The fluorescence enhancement was improved significantly when Ag NPs was capped with 4-Aminothiophenol (PATP) that was acted as an isolating layer between the metal surface and fluorophore molecules. The results suggest that a proper distribution of metallic NPs and proper separation between fluorophore molecule and the particle surface are important for obtaining an optimal SEF effect.

  8. Nanogap embedded silver gratings for surface plasmon enhanced fluorescence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhatnagar, Kunal

    Plasmonic nanostructures have been extensively used in the past few decades for applications in sub-wavelength optics, data storage, optoelectronic circuits, microscopy and bio-photonics. The enhanced electromagnetic field produced at the metal and dielectric interface by the excitation of surface plasmons via incident radiation can be used for signal enhancement in fluorescence and surface enhanced Raman scattering studies. Novel plasmonic structures have shown to provide very efficient and extreme light concentration at the nano-scale in recent years. The enhanced electric field produced within a few hundred nanometers of these surfaces can be used to excite fluorophores in the surrounding environment. Fluorescence based bio-detection and bio-imaging are two of the most important tools in the life sciences and improving the qualities and capabilities of fluorescence based detectors and imaging equipment remains a big challenge for industry manufacturers. We report a novel fabrication technique for producing nano-gap embedded periodic grating substrates on the nanoscale using a store bought HD-DVD and conventional soft lithography procedures. Polymethylsilsesquioxane (PMSSQ) polymer is used as the ink for the micro-contact printing process with PDMS stamps obtained from the inexpensive HD-DVDs as master molds. Fluorescence enhancement factors of up to 118 times were observed with these silver nanostructures in conjugation with Rhodamine-590 fluorescent dye. These substrates are ideal candidates for a robust and inexpensive optical system with applications such as low-level fluorescence based analyte detection, single molecule imaging, and surface enhanced Raman studies. Preliminary results in single molecule experiments have also been obtained by imaging individual 3 nm and 20 nm dye-doped nanoparticles attached to the silver plasmonic gratings using epi-fluorescence microscopy.

  9. Dual emission fluorescent silver nanoclusters for sensitive detection of the biological coenzyme NAD+/NADH.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Yufeng; Huang, Kehan; Chang, Mengfang; Qin, Cuifang; Zhang, Sanjun; Pan, Haifeng; Chen, Yan; Xu, Jianhua

    2016-02-01

    Fluorescent silver nanoclusters (Ag NCs) displaying dual-excitation and dual-emission properties have been developed for the specific detection of NAD(+) (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, oxidized form). With the increase of NAD(+) concentrations, the longer wavelength emission (with the peak at 550 nm) was gradually quenched due to the strong interactions between the NAD(+) and Ag NCs, whereas the shorter wavelength emission (peaking at 395 nm) was linearly enhanced. More important, the dual-emission intensity ratio (I395/I550), fitting by a single-exponential decay function, can efficiently detect various NAD(+) levels from 100 to 4000 μM, as well as label NAD(+)/NADH (reduced form of NAD) ratios in the range of 1-50. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Distance-dependent metal enhanced fluorescence by flowerlike silver nanostructures fabricated in liquid crystalline phase

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Ying; Yang, Chengliang; Zhang, Guiyang; Peng, Zenghui; Yao, Lishuang; Wang, Qidong; Cao, Zhaoliang; Mu, Quanquan; Xuan, Li

    2017-10-01

    Flowerlike silver nanostructure substrates were fabricated in liquid crystalline phase and the distance dependent property of metal enhanced fluorescence for such substrate was studied for the first time. The distance between silver nanostructures and fluorophore was controlled by the well-established layer-by-layer (LbL) technique constructing alternate layers of poly (allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and poly (sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS). The Rhodamine 6G (R6G) molecules were electrostatically attached to the outmost negative charged PSS layer. The fluorescence enhancement factor of flowerlike nanostructure substrate increased firstly and then decreased with the distance increasing. The best enhanced fluorescence intensity of 71 fold was obtained at a distance of 5.2 nm from the surface of flowerlike silver nanostructure. The distance for best enhancement effect is an instructive parameter for the applications of such substrates and could be used in the practical MEF applications with the flowerlike nanostructure substrates fabricated in such way which is simple, controllable and cost-effective.

  11. Preparation of Plasmonic Platforms of Silver Wires on Gold Mirrors and Their Application to Surface Enhanced Fluorescence

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-01-01

    In this report we describe a preparation of silver wires (SWs) on gold mirrors and its application to surface enhanced fluorescence (SEF) using a new methodology. Silica protected gold mirrors were drop-coated with a solution of silver triangular nanoprisms. The triangular nanoprisms were slowly air-dried to get silver wires that self-assembled on the gold mirrors. Fluorescence enhancement was studied using methyl azadioxatriangulenium chloride (Me-ADOTA·Cl) dye in PVA spin-coated on a clean glass coverslip. New Plasmonic Platforms (PPs) were assembled by placing a mirror with SWs in contact with a glass coverslip spin-coated with a uniform Me-ADOTA·Cl film. It was shown that surface enhanced fluorescence is a real phenomenon, not just an enhancement of the fluorescence signal due to an accumulation of the fluorophore on rough nanostructure surfaces. The average fluorescence enhancement was found to be about 15-fold. The lifetime of Me-ADOTA·Cl dye was significantly reduced (∼4 times) in the presence of SWs. Moreover, fluorescence enhancement and lifetime did not show any dependence on the excitation light polarization. PMID:25296293

  12. Ag-protein plasmonic architectures for surface plasmon-coupled emission enhancements and Fabry-Perot mode-coupled directional fluorescence emission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badiya, Pradeep Kumar; Patnaik, Sai Gourang; Srinivasan, Venkatesh; Reddy, Narendra; Manohar, Chelli Sai; Vedarajan, Raman; Mastumi, Noriyoshi; Belliraj, Siva Kumar; Ramamurthy, Sai Sathish

    2017-10-01

    We report the use of silver decorated plant proteins as spacer material for augmented surface plasmon-coupled emission (120-fold enhancement) and plasmon-enhanced Raman scattering. We extracted several proteins from different plant sources [Triticum aestivum (TA), Aegle marmelos (AM), Ricinus communis (RC), Jatropha curcas (JC) and Simarouba glauca (SG)] followed by evaluation of their optical properties and simulations to rationalize observed surface plasmon resonance. Since the properties exhibited by protein thin films is currently gaining research interest, we have also carried out simulation studies with Ag-protein biocomposites as spacer materials in metal-dielectric-metal planar microcavity architecture for guided emission of Fabry-Perot mode-coupled fluorescence.

  13. Application of silver nanoparticles in the detection of SYBR Green I by surface enhanced Raman and surface-enhanced fluorescence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Wei; Wu, Jian; Wang, Chunyan; Zhang, Tian; Chen, Tao

    2018-05-01

    Silver nanomaterials have remarkable application in biomedical detection due to their unique surface plasmon resonance (SPR) characteristics. It can be used for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and surface-enhanced fluorescence (SEF). Current research elaborates a technique for improvement of SYBR Green I detection obtained from surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and surface-enhanced fluorescence (SEF) by silver nanoparticles with the average size about 70 nm. Primarily, SYBR Green I is an important fluorescent dye used in polymerase chain reaction (PCR). It is found that both Raman and fluorescence can be used for detection of this dye. Furthermore, the enhanced efficiency of the Raman and fluorescence by SERS and SEF is observed in this study, the enhancement factor for Raman signals is 3.2 × 103, and the fluorescence intensity bincreased two times by SEF. The quantitative detection of SYBR Green I by SERS and SEF can be achieved. The present work can be used to improve the detection of SYBR Green I by SERS and SEF. It would also be employed for high-sensitive detection of other materials in the future.

  14. Silver nanoparticles enhanced 1.53 µm band fluorescence of Er{sup 3+}/Yb{sup 3+} codoped tellurite glasses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Qi, Yawei; Zhou, Yaxun, E-mail: zhouyaxun@nbu.edu.cn; Wu, Libo; Yang, Fengjing; Peng, Shengxi; Zheng, Shichao; Yin, Dandan

    2014-09-15

    The silver nanoparticles (NPs) was introduced into the Er{sup 3+}/Yb{sup 3+} codoped tellurite glasses with composition of TeO{sub 2}–ZnO to improve the 1.53 µm band fluorescence of Er{sup 3+} and the thermal stability of glass host. The UV–Vis–NIR absorption spectra, 1.53 µm band fluorescence spectra and fluorescence decaying curves, the differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) curves, X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images of glass samples were characterized to investigate the effect of silver NPs on the fluorescence properties of Er{sup 3+}, thermal stability and structure behavior of glass host. It is shown that the Er{sup 3+}/Yb{sup 3+} codoped tellurite glass emits intense 1.53 µm band fluorescence with peak wavelength located at about 1532 nm under the 980 nm excitation. The introduction of silver NPs further improves the fluorescence intensity of Er{sup 3+} which is attributed to the enhanced local electric field effect induced by localized surface Plasmon resonance (LSPR) of silver NPs and the possible energy transfer from silver NPs to Er{sup 3+}. An improvement by about 62% of 1.5{sup 3} µm band fluorescence intensity was found in the studied Er{sup 3+}/Yb{sup 3+} codoped tellurite glass containing 0.5 mol% amount of AgNO{sub 3}. In addition, the thermal stability of glass host increases with the introduction of silver NPs while the glass structure maintains the amorphous nature. The present results indicate that the prepared Er{sup 3+}/Yb{sup 3+} codoped tellurite glass with an appropriate amount of silver NPs has good prospect as a gain medium applied for 1.53 µm band broad and high-gain erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs). - Highlights: • Tellurite glass with Er{sup 3+}/Yb{sup 3+} and silver NPs was prepared by melt-quenching method. • Silver NPs with average size of 12 nm and Plasmon band at 560 nm was observed. • Addition of silver NPs increased the thermal stability of tellurite glass.

  15. Fluorescence enhancement of DNA-silver nanoclusters from guanine proximity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yeh, Hsin-chih [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Sharma, Jaswinder [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Yoo, Hyojong [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Martinez, Jennifer S [Los Alamos National Laboratory

    2010-01-01

    Oligonucleotide-templated, silver nanoclusters (DNA/Ag NCs) are a versatile set of fluorophores and have already been used for live cell imaging, detection of specific metal ions, and single-nucleotide variation identification. Compared to commonly used organic dyes, these fluorescent nanoclusters have much better photostability and are often a few times brighter. Owing to their small size, simple preparation, and biocompatibility (i.e. made of nontoxic metals), DNA/Ag NCs should find more applications in biological imaging and chemical detection in the years to come. While clearly promising as new fluorophores, DNA/Ag NCs possess a unique and poorly understood dynamic process not shared by organic dyes or photoluminescent nanocrystals - the conversion among different NC species due to silver oxidation/reduction or NC regrouping. While this environmental sensitivity can be viewed as a drawback, in the appropriate context, it can be used as a sensor or reporter. Often reversible, conversions among different NC species have been found to depend upon a number of factors, including time, temperature, oxygen and salt content. In this communication, we report significant fluorescence enhancement of DNA/Ag NCs via interactions with guanine-rich DNA sequences. Moreover, we demonstrated this property can be used for sensitive detection of specific target DNA from a human oncogene (i.e. Braf gene).

  16. Photoacoustic emission from fluorescent nanodiamonds enhanced with gold nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Bailin; Fang, Chia-Yi; Chang, Cheng-Chun; Peterson, Ralph; Maswadi, Saher; Glickman, Randolph D.; Chang, Huan-Cheng; Ye, Jing Yong

    2012-01-01

    Fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs) have drawn much attention in recent years for biomedical imaging applications due to their desired physical properties including excellent photostability, high biocompatibility, extended far-red fluorescence emission, and ease of surface functionalization. Here we explore a new feature of FNDs, i.e. their photoacoustic emission capability, which may lead to potential applications of using FNDs as a dual imaging contrast agent for combined fluorescence and photoacoustic imaging modalities. We observed significant enhancement of photoacoustic emission from FNDs when they were conjugated with gold nanoparticles (GNPs). PMID:22808436

  17. Photoacoustic emission from fluorescent nanodiamonds enhanced with gold nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Bailin; Fang, Chia-Yi; Chang, Cheng-Chun; Peterson, Ralph; Maswadi, Saher; Glickman, Randolph D; Chang, Huan-Cheng; Ye, Jing Yong

    2012-07-01

    Fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs) have drawn much attention in recent years for biomedical imaging applications due to their desired physical properties including excellent photostability, high biocompatibility, extended far-red fluorescence emission, and ease of surface functionalization. Here we explore a new feature of FNDs, i.e. their photoacoustic emission capability, which may lead to potential applications of using FNDs as a dual imaging contrast agent for combined fluorescence and photoacoustic imaging modalities. We observed significant enhancement of photoacoustic emission from FNDs when they were conjugated with gold nanoparticles (GNPs).

  18. Recent Progress on Plasmon-Enhanced Fluorescence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dong Jun

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The optically generated collective electron density waves on metal–dielectric boundaries known as surface plasmons have been of great scientific interest since their discovery. Being electromagnetic waves on gold or silver nanoparticle’s surface, localised surface plasmons (LSP can strongly enhance the electromagnetic field. These strong electromagnetic fields near the metal surfaces have been used in various applications like surface enhanced spectroscopy (SES, plasmonic lithography, plasmonic trapping of particles, and plasmonic catalysis. Resonant coupling of LSPs to fluorophore can strongly enhance the emission intensity, the angular distribution, and the polarisation of the emitted radiation and even the speed of radiative decay, which is so-called plasmon enhanced fluorescence (PEF. As a result, more and more reports on surface-enhanced fluorescence have appeared, such as SPASER-s, plasmon assisted lasing, single molecule fluorescence measurements, surface plasmoncoupled emission (SPCE in biological sensing, optical orbit designs etc. In this review, we focus on recent advanced reports on plasmon-enhanced fluorescence (PEF. First, the mechanism of PEF and early results of enhanced fluorescence observed by metal nanostructure will be introduced. Then, the enhanced substrates, including periodical and nonperiodical nanostructure, will be discussed and the most important factor of the spacer between molecule and surface and wavelength dependence on PEF is demonstrated. Finally, the recent progress of tipenhanced fluorescence and PEF from the rare-earth doped up-conversion (UC and down-conversion (DC nanoparticles (NPs are also commented upon. This review provides an introduction to fundamentals of PEF, illustrates the current progress in the design of metallic nanostructures for efficient fluorescence signal amplification that utilises propagating and localised surface plasmons.

  19. Experimental assessment of fluorescence microscopy signal enhancement by stimulated emission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dake, Fumihiro; Yazawa, Hiroki

    2017-10-01

    The quantity of photons generated during fluorescence microscopy is principally determined by the quantum yield of the fluorescence dyes and the optical power of the excitation beam. However, even though low quantum yields can produce poor images, it is challenging to tune this parameter, while increasing the power of the excitation beam often results in photodamage. Here, we propose the use of stimulated emission (SE) as a means of enhancing both the signal intensity and signal-to-noise ratio during confocal fluorescence microscopy. This work experimentally confirmed that both these factors can be enhanced by SE radiation, through generating a greater number of photons than are associated with the standard fluorescence signal. We also propose the concept of stimulated emission enhancing fluorescence (SEEF) microscopy, which employs both the SE and fluorescence signals, and demonstrate that the intensity of an SEEF signal is greater than those of the individual SE and fluorescence signals.

  20. Terahertz-Radiation-Enhanced Emission of Fluorescence from Gas Plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Jingle; Zhang, X.-C.

    2009-01-01

    We report the study of femtosecond laser-induced air plasma fluorescence under the illumination of terahertz (THz) pulses. Semiclassical modeling and experimental verification indicate that time-resolved THz radiation-enhanced emission of fluorescence is dominated by the electron kinetics and the electron-impact excitation of gas molecules or ions. We demonstrate that the temporal waveform of the THz field could be retrieved from the transient enhanced fluorescence, making omnidirectional, coherent detection available for THz time-domain spectroscopy.

  1. Metal-enhanced fluorescence of mixed coumarin dyes by silver and gold nanoparticles: Towards plasmonic thin-film luminescent solar concentrator

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    El-Bashir, S.M., E-mail: elbashireg@yahoo.com [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Science College, King Saud University, Riyadh, KSA (Saudi Arabia); Department of Physics Faculty of Science, Benha University (Egypt); Barakat, F.M.; AlSalhi, M.S. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Science College, King Saud University, Riyadh, KSA (Saudi Arabia)

    2013-11-15

    Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanocomposite films doped with mixed coumarin dyestuffs and noble metal nanoparticles (60 nm silver and 100 nm gold) were prepared by spin coating technique. The effect of silver and gold nanoparticles on the film properties was studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV–vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy measurements. DSC measurements indicated the increase of the glass transition temperature of the films by increasing nanogold concentration, recommending their promising thermal stability towards hot climates. It was found that the fluorescence signals of the mixed coumarin dyes were amplified by 5.4 and 7.15 folds as a result of metal enhanced fluorescence (MEF). The research outcomes offered a potential application of these films in solar energy conversion by plasmonic thin film luminescent solar concentrator (PTLSC). -- Graphical abstract: Plasmonic thin film luminescent solar concentrators. Highlights: • Metal enhanced fluorescence was achieved for mixed coumarin dyes doped in PMMA nanocomposite films. • The amplification of the fluorescence signals is dependent on the concentration of silver and gold nanoparticles. • These films is considered as potential candidates for plasmonic thin film luminescent solar concentrators (PTLSCs)

  2. Determination of fluoxetine in pharmaceutical and biological samples based on the silver nanoparticle enhanced fluorescence of fluoxetine-terbium complex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lotfi, Ali; Manzoori, Jamshid L

    2016-11-01

    In this study, a simple and sensitive spectrofluorimetric method is presented for the determination of fluoxetine based on the enhancing effect of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on the terbium-fluoxetine fluorescence emission. The AgNPs were prepared by a simple reduction method and characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. It was indicated that these AgNPs have a remarkable amplifying effect on the terbium-sensitized fluorescence of fluoxetine. The effects of various parameters such as AgNP and Tb 3+ concentration and the pH of the media were investigated. Under obtained optimal conditions, the fluorescence intensity of the terbium-fluoxetine-AgNP system was enhanced linearly by increasing the concentration of fluoxetine in the range of 0.008 to 19 mg/L. The limit of detection (b + 3s) was 8.3 × 10 -4 mg/L. The interference effects of common species found in real samples were also studied. The method had good linearity, recovery, reproducibility and sensitivity, and was satisfactorily applied for the determination of fluoxetine in tablet formulations, human urine and plasma samples. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  3. Plasmon enhancement of Raman scattering and fluorescence for rhodamine 6G molecules in the porous glass and PVA films with nanoparticles of silver citrate hydrosol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Konstantinova, E I; Zyubin, A U; Samusev, I G; Slezhkin, V A; Bryukhanov, V V

    2016-01-01

    The study of Raman and fluorescence spectra for Rhodamine 6G molecules in a film of polyvinyl alcohol on the modified by silver nanoparticles (NPs) porous glass and without the porous glass has been done. The gain of the scattering intensity and fluorescence emission has been obtained in the presence of silver nanoparticles. The gain order was obtained as ∼ 10"1"1 (paper)

  4. A microemulsion preparation of nanoparticles of europium in silica with luminescence enhancement using silver

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ma Zhiya; Dosev, Dosi; Kennedy, Ian M

    2009-01-01

    A facile one-pot microemulsion method has been developed for the synthesis of spherical silver core-silica shell (Ag-SiO 2 ) nanoparticles with europium chelates doped in the shell through a silane agent. The method is significantly more straightforward than other extant methods. Measurements of the luminescent emissions from the Ag-SiO 2 nanoparticles, in comparison with control silica nanoparticles without silver cores, showed that the presence of the silver cores can increase the fluorescence intensity approximately 24-fold and decrease the luminescence lifetime. This enhancement offers a potential increase in overall particle detectability with increased fluorophore photostability.

  5. Fluorescence quenching and photocatalytic degradation of textile dyeing waste water by silver nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kavitha, S. R.; Umadevi, M.; Janani, S. R.; Balakrishnan, T.; Ramanibai, R.

    2014-06-01

    Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) of different sizes have been prepared by chemical reduction method and characterized using UV-vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Fluorescence spectral analysis showed that the quenching of fluorescence of textile dyeing waste water (TDW) has been found to decrease with decrease in the size of the Ag NPs. Experimental results show that the silver nanoparticles can quench the fluorescence emission of adsorbed TDW effectively. The fluorescence interaction between Ag NPs (acceptor) and TDW (donor) confirms the Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) mechanism. Long range dipole-dipole interaction between the excited donor and ground state acceptor molecules is the dominant mechanism responsible for the energy transfer. Furthermore, photocatalytic degradation of TDW was measured spectrophotometrically by using silver as nanocatalyst under UV light illumination. The kinetic study revealed that synthesized Ag NPs was found to be effective in degrading TDW.

  6. Synthesis and characterization of colloidal fluorescent silver nanoclusters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Sherry; Pfeiffer, Christian; Hollmann, Jana; Friede, Sebastian; Chen, Justin Jin-Ching; Beyer, Andreas; Haas, Benedikt; Volz, Kerstin; Heimbrodt, Wolfram; Montenegro Martos, Jose Maria; Chang, Walter; Parak, Wolfgang J

    2012-06-19

    Ultrasmall water-soluble silver nanoclusters are synthesized, and their properties are investigated. The silver nanoclusters have high colloidal stability and show fluorescence in the red. This demonstrates that like gold nanoclusters also silver nanoclusters can be fluorescent.

  7. Two-photon induced fluorescence of Cy5-DNA in buffer solution and on silver island films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lukomska, Joanna; Gryczynski, Ignacy; Malicka, Joanna; Makowiec, Slawomir; Lakowicz, Joseph R.; Gryczynski, Zygmunt

    2005-01-01

    We report the observation of a strong two-photon induced fluorescence emission of Cy5-DNA within the tunable range of a Ti:Sapphire laser. The estimated two-photon cross-section for Cy5-DNA of 400 GM is about 3.5-fold higher than it was reported for rhodamine B. The fundamental anisotropies of Cy5-DNA are close to the theoretical limits of 2/5 and 4/7 for one- and two-photon excitation, respectively. We also observed an enhanced two-photon induced fluorescence (TPIF) of Cy5-DNA deposited on silver island films (SIFs). In the presence of SIFs, the TPIF is about 100-fold brighter. The brightness increase of Cy5-DNA TPIF near SIFs is mostly due to enhanced local field

  8. Plasmonic enhancement in upconversion emission of La2O3:Er3+/Yb3+ phosphor via introducing silver metal nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tiwari, S. P.; Kumar, K.; Rai, V. K.

    2015-11-01

    In the present work, authors have synthesized silver (Ag) nanoparticle (NP) embedded La2O3:Er3+/Yb3+ powder phosphor. The synthesis method has resulted in silver oxide-lanthanum oxide composite material. Through subsequent heat treatment of sample in pellet form, the silver metal nanoparticles were formed. The presence of plasmonic Ag NPs in the matrix is confirmed by various techniques. Large enhancement in downconversion as well as upconversion emission intensity of Er3+ ions at various concentrations of Ag NPs is obtained. Large enhancement in the upconversion emission intensity is correlated to the reduction in decay time of 4S3/2 level in the presence of Ag NPs, and possible reasons for intensity enhancement are discussed. The application of phosphor in fingermark detection is demonstrated.

  9. Towards understanding of poly-guanine activated fluorescent silver nanoclusters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Walczak, Sylwia; Morishita, Kiyoshi; Ahmed, Moin; Liu, Juewen

    2014-01-01

    It has been recently reported that the fluorescence of some DNA-templated silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) can be significantly enhanced upon by hybridizing with a partially complementary DNA containing a G-rich overhang near the AgNCs. This discovery has found a number of analytical applications but many fundamental questions remain to be answered. In this work, the photostability of these activated AgNCs is reported. After adding the G-rich DNA activator, the fluorescence intensity peaks in ∼1 h and then starts to decay, where the decaying rate is much faster with light exposure. The lost fluorescence is recovered by adding NaBH 4 , suggesting that the bleaching is an oxidative process. Once activated, the G-rich activator can be removed while the AgNCs still maintain most of their fluorescence intensity. UV–vis spectroscopy suggests that new AgNC species are generated upon hybridization with the activator. The base sequence and length of the template DNA have also been varied, leading to different emission colors and color change after hybridization. G-rich aptamers can also serve as activators. Our results indicate that activation of the fluorescence by G-rich DNA could be a convenient method for biosensor development since the unstable NaBH 4 is not required for the activation step. (paper)

  10. DNA abasic site-selective enhancement of sanguinarine fluorescence with a large emission shift.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fei Wu

    Full Text Available Small molecules that can specifically bind to a DNA abasic site (AP site have received much attention due to their importance in DNA lesion identification, drug discovery, and sensor design. Herein, the AP site binding behavior of sanguinarine (SG, a natural alkaloid, was investigated. In aqueous solution, SG has a short-wavelength alkanolamine emission band and a long-wavelength iminium emission band. At pH 8.3, SG experiences a fluorescence quenching for both bands upon binding to fully matched DNAs without the AP site, while the presence of the AP site induces a strong SG binding and the observed fluorescence enhancement for the iminium band are highly dependent on the nucleobases flanking the AP site, while the alkanolamine band is always quenched. The bases opposite the AP site also exert some modifications on the SG's emission behavior. It was found that the observed quenching for DNAs with Gs and Cs flanking the AP site is most likely caused by electron transfer between the AP site-bound excited-state SG and the nearby Gs. However, the flanking As and Ts that are not easily oxidized favor the enhanced emission. This AP site-selective enhancement of SG fluorescence accompanies a band conversion in the dominate emission from the alkanolamine to iminium band thus with a large emission shift of about 170 nm. Absorption spectra, steady-state and transient-state fluorescence, DNA melting, and electrolyte experiments confirm that the AP site binding of SG occurs and the stacking interaction with the nearby base pairs is likely to prevent the converted SG iminium form from contacting with water that is thus emissive when the AP site neighbors are bases other than guanines. We expect that this fluorophore would be developed as a promising AP site binder having a large emission shift.

  11. Quantum sized Ag nanocluster assisted fluorescence enhancement in Tm3+-Yb3+ doped optical fiber beyond plasmonics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chattopadhyay, Rik; Haldar, Arindam; Paul, Mukul C.; Das, Shyamal; Bhadra, Shyamal K.

    2015-01-01

    We report a process for enhancing fluorescence emission from conventional rare earth ions in optical fiber by metal nanocluster (MNC) in nonresonant indirect pumping. The process is completely different from formal metal enhanced fluorescence phenomenon as the MNCs are too small in size to support localized surface plasmon and the excitation wavelength is far from plasmon resonance frequency. We used an established theory of two coupled oscillators to explain the simultaneous enhancement of Ytterbium (Yb 3+ ) and Thulium (Tm 3+ ) emission by silver (Ag) NCs under nonresonant pumping in optical fiber. The fiber is pumped with a 980 nm fiber pigtailed laser diode with input power of 20–100 mW to excite the Yb 3+ . Four times enhancement of Yb 3+ emission of 900–1100 nm and Tm 3+ upconversion emission around 474 nm, 650 nm, and 790 nm is observed in the fiber with Ag NCs

  12. Increasing of sensitivity of fluorescent immunoassay analysis of alpha-fetoprotein by means of plasmonical silver nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vashchenko, S.V.; Min'ko, A.A.; Romanenko, A.A.; Gaponenko, S.V.; Kulakovich, O.S.

    2014-01-01

    A test system is proposed based on metal enhanced fluorescence to analyze low concentrations of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), a tumor marker. Antigen-antibody reaction was performed on polystyrene plates coated with silver nanoparticles to increase sensitivity of fluorescent immunoassay and signal-to-noise ratio as compared to silver-free system. As compared to widely used ELISA technique and other immunoassay techniques the proposed approach is characterized by smaller probe volume, fast analysis and simplicity. The proposed test system uses layer-by-layer assembly approach, LED excitation and nanowatt photodetection set-up. The proposed test system offers AFP detection at concentrations used in clinical practice. Fluorescence enhancement for labeled AFP antibodies on a silver substrate was found to depend on antibodies concentration and was up to 6 times. (authors)

  13. Peptide-stabilized, fluorescent silver nanoclusters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gregersen, Simon; Vosch, Tom André Jos; Jensen, Knud Jørgen

    2016-01-01

    Few-atom silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) can exhibit strong fluorescence; however, they require ligands to prevent aggregation into larger nanoparticles. Fluorescent AgNCs in biopolymer scaffolds have so far mainly been synthesized in solution, and peptides have only found limited use compared to DNA...

  14. Quantum sized Ag nanocluster assisted fluorescence enhancement in Tm{sup 3+}-Yb{sup 3+} doped optical fiber beyond plasmonics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chattopadhyay, Rik; Haldar, Arindam; Paul, Mukul C.; Das, Shyamal; Bhadra, Shyamal K., E-mail: skbhadra@cgcri.res.in [Fiber Optics and Photonics Division, CSIR-Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute, 196, Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Kolkata 700032 (India)

    2015-12-07

    We report a process for enhancing fluorescence emission from conventional rare earth ions in optical fiber by metal nanocluster (MNC) in nonresonant indirect pumping. The process is completely different from formal metal enhanced fluorescence phenomenon as the MNCs are too small in size to support localized surface plasmon and the excitation wavelength is far from plasmon resonance frequency. We used an established theory of two coupled oscillators to explain the simultaneous enhancement of Ytterbium (Yb{sup 3+}) and Thulium (Tm{sup 3+}) emission by silver (Ag) NCs under nonresonant pumping in optical fiber. The fiber is pumped with a 980 nm fiber pigtailed laser diode with input power of 20–100 mW to excite the Yb{sup 3+}. Four times enhancement of Yb{sup 3+} emission of 900–1100 nm and Tm{sup 3+} upconversion emission around 474 nm, 650 nm, and 790 nm is observed in the fiber with Ag NCs.

  15. Highly sensitive C-reactive protein (CRP) assay using metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Yi; Keegan, Gemma L.; Stranik, Ondrej; Brennan-Fournet, Margaret E.; McDonagh, Colette

    2015-01-01

    Fluorescence has been extensively employed in the area of diagnostic immunoassays. A significant enhancement of fluorescence can be achieved when noble metal nanoparticles are placed in close proximity to fluorophores. This effect, referred to as metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF), has the potential to produce immunoassays with a high sensitivity and a low limit of detection (LOD). In this study, we investigate the fluorescence enhancement effect of two different nanoparticle systems, large spherical silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and gold edge-coated triangular silver nanoplates, and both systems were evaluated for MEF. The extinction properties and electric field enhancement of both systems were modeled, and the optimum system, spherical AgNPs, was used in a sandwich immunoassay for human C-reactive protein with a red fluorescent dye label. A significant enhancement in the fluorescence was observed, which corresponded to an LOD improvement of ∼19-fold compared to a control assay without AgNPs

  16. Highly sensitive C-reactive protein (CRP) assay using metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Yi; Keegan, Gemma L., E-mail: gemmakeegan@gmail.com [Dublin City University, School of Physical Sciences, Biomedical Diagnostics Institute (Ireland); Stranik, Ondrej [Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology, Department of NanoBiophotonics (Germany); Brennan-Fournet, Margaret E. [CMP-EMSE, MOC, Department of Bioelectronics, Ecole Nationale Superieure des Mines (France); McDonagh, Colette [Dublin City University, School of Physical Sciences, Biomedical Diagnostics Institute (Ireland)

    2015-07-15

    Fluorescence has been extensively employed in the area of diagnostic immunoassays. A significant enhancement of fluorescence can be achieved when noble metal nanoparticles are placed in close proximity to fluorophores. This effect, referred to as metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF), has the potential to produce immunoassays with a high sensitivity and a low limit of detection (LOD). In this study, we investigate the fluorescence enhancement effect of two different nanoparticle systems, large spherical silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and gold edge-coated triangular silver nanoplates, and both systems were evaluated for MEF. The extinction properties and electric field enhancement of both systems were modeled, and the optimum system, spherical AgNPs, was used in a sandwich immunoassay for human C-reactive protein with a red fluorescent dye label. A significant enhancement in the fluorescence was observed, which corresponded to an LOD improvement of ∼19-fold compared to a control assay without AgNPs.

  17. Controllable synthesis and characterization of highly fluorescent silver nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li Junlin [Nanjing Normal University, School of Chemistry and Materials Science (China); An Xueqing, E-mail: anxueqin@ecust.edu.cn [East China University of Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering (China); Zhu Yinyan [Nanjing Normal University, School of Chemistry and Materials Science (China)

    2012-12-15

    Highly fluorescent silver nanoparticles (AgFNPs) have been prepared by microemulsion method and the sizes of AgFNPs were controlled by altering the molar ratio ({omega}) of water-to-surfactant in the water-in-oil microemulsion. The results were shown that the AgFNPs sizes increased with incremental molar ratio ({omega}) of water-to-surfactant. The AgFNPs have been characterized by transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, fluorescence and absorption spectroscopy, and fluorescence lifetime study. Study of the spectral characteristics was shown that the absorbance of AgFNPs increased significantly with the {omega}, and linear relationship between absorbance and the size of AgFNPs was observed. The increase of AgFNPs size caused a red shift of maximum absorption wavelength in the UV-Vis spectra, and the relationship between maximum absorption wavelength and AgFNPs size appeared linear dependence. The maximum fluorescence emission wavelength did not shift with the change of particles size, but the emission intensity increases with the {omega}. The results were shown that the other factors to affect the fluorescence properties of AgFNPs were the surface properties and microstructure, except the AgFNPs size. These surface properties depend upon the stabilizing agent, reactant concentration, and solvents and so on.

  18. A dual amplification strategy for DNA detection combining bio-barcode assay and metal-enhanced fluorescence modality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Zhenpeng; Li, Tian; Huang, Hongduan; Chen, Yang; Liu, Feng; Huang, Chengzhi; Li, Na

    2014-11-11

    Silver-enhanced fluorescence was coupled with a bio-barcode assay to facilitate a dual amplification assay to demonstrate a non-enzymatic approach for simple and sensitive detection of DNA. In the assay design, magnetic nanoparticles seeded with silver nanoparticles were modified with the capture DNA, and silver nanoparticles were modified with the binding of ssDNA and the fluorescently labeled barcode dsDNA. Upon introduction of the target DNA, a sandwich structure was formed because of the hybridization reaction. By simple magnetic separation, silver-enhanced fluorescence of barcode DNAs could be readily measured without the need of a further step to liberate barcode DNAs from silver nanoparticles, endowing the method with simplicity and high sensitivity with a detection limit of 1 pM.

  19. Photoacoustic emission from fluorescent nanodiamonds enhanced with gold nanoparticles

    OpenAIRE

    Zhang, Bailin; Fang, Chia-Yi; Chang, Cheng-Chun; Peterson, Ralph; Maswadi, Saher; Glickman, Randolph D.; Chang, Huan-Cheng; Ye, Jing Yong

    2012-01-01

    Fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs) have drawn much attention in recent years for biomedical imaging applications due to their desired physical properties including excellent photostability, high biocompatibility, extended far-red fluorescence emission, and ease of surface functionalization. Here we explore a new feature of FNDs, i.e. their photoacoustic emission capability, which may lead to potential applications of using FNDs as a dual imaging contrast agent for combined fluorescence and photo...

  20. Conversion of just-continuous metallic films to large particulate substrates for metal-enhanced fluorescence

    OpenAIRE

    Aslan, Kadir; Malyn, Stuart N.; Zhang, Yongxia; Geddes, Chris D.

    2008-01-01

    We report the effects of thermally annealing, non-, just-, and thick continuous silver films for their potential applications in metal-enhanced fluorescence, a near-field concept which can alter the free-space absorption and emissive properties of close-proximity fluorophores (excited states). We have chosen to anneal a noncontinuous particulate film 5 nm thick and two thicker continuous films, 15 and 25 nm thick, respectively. Our results show that the annealing of the 25 nm film has little ...

  1. Nanoscale control of Ag nanostructures for plasmonic fluorescence enhancement of near-infrared dyes

    KAUST Repository

    Xie, Fang; Pang, Jing S.; Centeno, Anthony; Ryan, Mary P.; Riley, D. Jason; Alford, Neil M.

    2013-01-01

    of increasing the sensitivity of protein detection in clinical applications. We report the use of tunable plasmonic silver nanostructures for the fluorescence enhancement of a near-infrared (NIR) dye (Alexa Fluor 790). Extensive fluorescence enhancement of ∼2

  2. Nanoantenna array-induced fluorescence enhancement and reduced lifetimes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bakker, R. M.; Drachev, V. P.; Liu, Z.

    2008-01-01

    Enhanced fluorescence is observed from dye molecules interacting with optical nanoantenna arrays. Elliptical gold dimers form individual nanoantennae with tunable plasmon resonances depending upon the geometry of the two particles and the size of the gap between them. A fluorescent dye, Rhodamine...... 800, is uniformly embedded in a dielectric host that coats the nanoantennae. The nanoantennae act to enhance the dye absorption. In turn, emission from the dye drives the plasmon resonance of the antennae; the nanoantennae act to enhance the fluorescence signal and change the angular distribution...... of emission. These effects depend upon the overlap of the plasmon resonance with the excitation wavelength and the fluorescence emission band. A decreased fluorescence lifetime is observed along with highly polarized emission that displays the characteristics of the nanoantenna's dipole mode. Being able...

  3. Enhanced EGFP Fluorescence Emission in Presence of PEG Aqueous Solutions and PIB1000-PEG6000-PIB1000 Copolymer Vesicles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Noor Muhammad

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available An EGFP construct interacting with the PIB1000-PEG6000-PIB1000 vesicles surface reported a ~2-fold fluorescence emission enhancement. Because of the constructs nature with the amphiphilic peptide inserted into the PIB core, EGFP is expected to experience a “pure” PEG environment. To unravel this phenomenon PEG/water solutions at different molecular weights and concentrations were used. Already at ~1 : 10 protein/PEG molar ratio the increase in fluorescence emission is observed reaching a plateau correlating with the PEG molecular weight. Parallel experiments in presence of glycerol aqueous solutions did show a slight fluorescence enhancement however starting at much higher concentrations. Molecular dynamics simulations of EGFP in neat water, glycerol, and PEG aqueous solutions were performed showing that PEG molecules tend to “wrap” the protein creating a microenvironment where the local PEG concentration is higher compared to its bulk concentration. Because the fluorescent emission can be perturbed by the refractive index surrounding the protein, the clustering of PEG molecules induces an enhanced fluorescence emission already at extremely low concentrations. These findings can be important when related to the use of EGFP as reported in molecular biology experiments.

  4. Fluorescence properties of Yb3+-Er3+ co-doped phosphate glasses containing silver nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez Gámez, Ma A.; Vallejo H, Miguel A.; Kiryanov, A. V.; Licea-Jiménez, L.; Lucio M, J. L.; Pérez-García, S. A.

    2018-04-01

    Er3+-Yb3+ co-doped phosphate glasses containing silver nitrate (SN), were fabricated. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses were used to evidence the nucleation and presence of silver nanoparticles (SNP). The basic parameters of the glasses were inspected by means of absorption and fluorescence spectra, and fluorescence lifetimes under excitation at 916 nm (in-band of Yb3+), and at 406 nm (in-band of surface plasmon resonance given by the presence of SNP). The spectra as well as estimates for the basic parameters defining the lasing/amplifying potential of the glasses were studied as a function of SN concentration. The experimental results indicate that by increasing the SN content an enhancement of Er3+/Yb3+ fluorescence takes place.

  5. Enhanced localized fluorescence in plasmonic nanoantennae

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bakker, R.M.; Yuan, H.-K.; Liu, Z.

    2008-01-01

    in fluorescence that reaches 100 times enhancement. Near-field excitation shows enhanced fluorescence from a single nanoantenna localized in a subwavelength area of similar to 0.15 mu m(2). The polarization of enhanced emission is along the main antenna axis. These observed experimental results are important...

  6. pH-dependent fluorescence property of methyl red isomers in silver colloids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wong, Jian-How; Lee, Szetsen

    2012-01-01

    We report the use of silver (Ag) colloids in the spectroscopic differentiation of methyl red (MR) isomers (o-MR, m-MR, p-MR) by fluorescence techniques. Under different pH conditions, the formation of MR-Ag complex has an impact on the fluorescence band shapes and peak position shift, which are distinctive between MR isomers. The fluorescence quenching between 400 and 414 nm accompanied by simultaneous enhancement between 510 and 541 nm changes with pH are closely related to energy transfer efficiency and the interaction between the MR isomers and the Ag surface.

  7. High fluorescence emission silver nano particles coated with poly (styrene-g-soybean oil) graft copolymers: Antibacterial activity and polymerization kinetics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hazer, Baki; Kalaycı, Özlem A

    2017-05-01

    Autoxidation of poly unsaturated fatty acids makes negative effect on foods. In this work, this negative effect was turned to a great advantage using autoxidized soybean oil as a macroperoxide nanocomposite initiator containing silver nano particles in free radical polymerization of vinyl monomers. The synthesis of soybean oil macro peroxide was carried out by exposing soybean oil to air oxygen with the presence of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) at room temperature. Autoxidized soybean oil macroperoxide containing silver nanoparticles (Agsbox) successfully initiated the free radical polymerization of styrene in order to obtain Polystyrene (PS)-g-soybean oil graft copolymer containing Ag NPs. Both autoxidized soybean oil and PS-g-sbox with Ag NPs showed a surface plasmon resonance and high fluorescence emission. Overall rate constant (K) of styrene polymerization initiated by autoxidized soybean oil macroperoxide with Ag NPs was found to be K=1.95.10 -4 Lmol -1 s -1 at 95°C. Antibacterial efficiency was observed in the PS-g-soybean oil graft copolymer film samples containing Ag NPs. 1 H NMR and GPC techniques were used for the structural analysis of the fractionated polymeric oils. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Photochemical Synthesis of Silver Nanodecahedrons and Related Nanostructures for Plasmonic Field Enhancement Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Haifei

    Noble-metal nanocrystals have received considerable attention in recent years for their size and shape dependent localized surface Plasmon resonances (LSPR). Various applications based on colloidal nanoparticles, such as surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), surface enhanced fluorescence (SEF), plasmonic sensing, photothermal therapy etc., have been broadly explored in the field of biomedicine, because of their extremely large optical scattering and absorption cross sections, as well as giant electric field enhancement on their surface. However, despite its high chemical stability, gold exhibits quite large losses and electric field enhancement is comparatively weaker than silver. Silver nanoparticles synthesized by the traditional technique only cover an LSPR ranged from 420~500 nm. On the other hand, the range of 500~660 nm, which is covered by several easily available commercial laser lines, very limited colloidal silver nanostructures with controllable size and shape have been reported, and realization of tuning the resonance to longer wavelengths is very important for the practical applications. In this thesis, a systematic study on photochemical synthesis of silver nanodecahedrons (NDs) and related nanostructures, and their plasmonic field enhancements are presented. First, the roles of chemicals and the light source during the formation of silver nanoparticles have been studied. We have also developed a preparation route for the production size-controlled silver nanodecahedrons (LSPR range 420 ~ 660 nm) in high purity. Indeed our experiments indicate that both the chemicals and the light sources can affect the shape and purity of final products. Adjusting the molar ratio between sodium citrate and silver nitrate can help to control the crystal structure following rapid reduction from sodium borohydride. Light from a blue LED (465 nm) can efficiently transform the polyvinylpyrrolidone stabilized small silver nanoparticles into silver NDs through photo

  9. Plasmonics Enhanced Smartphone Fluorescence Microscopy

    KAUST Repository

    Wei, Qingshan

    2017-05-12

    Smartphone fluorescence microscopy has various applications in point-of-care (POC) testing and diagnostics, ranging from e.g., quantification of immunoassays, detection of microorganisms, to sensing of viruses. An important need in smartphone-based microscopy and sensing techniques is to improve the detection sensitivity to enable quantification of extremely low concentrations of target molecules. Here, we demonstrate a general strategy to enhance the detection sensitivity of a smartphone-based fluorescence microscope by using surface-enhanced fluorescence (SEF) created by a thin metal-film. In this plasmonic design, the samples are placed on a silver-coated glass slide with a thin spacer, and excited by a laser-diode from the backside through a glass hemisphere, generating surface plasmon polaritons. We optimized this mobile SEF system by tuning the metal-film thickness, spacer distance, excitation angle and polarization, and achieved ~10-fold enhancement in fluorescence intensity compared to a bare glass substrate, which enabled us to image single fluorescent particles as small as 50 nm in diameter and single quantum-dots. Furthermore, we quantified the detection limit of this platform by using DNA origami-based brightness standards, demonstrating that ~80 fluorophores per diffraction-limited spot can be readily detected by our mobile microscope, which opens up new opportunities for POC diagnostics and sensing applications in resource-limited-settings.

  10. Plasmonics Enhanced Smartphone Fluorescence Microscopy

    KAUST Repository

    Wei, Qingshan; Acuna, Guillermo; Kim, Seungkyeum; Vietz, Carolin; Tseng, Derek; Chae, Jongjae; Shir, Daniel; Luo, Wei; Tinnefeld, Philip; Ozcan, Aydogan

    2017-01-01

    Smartphone fluorescence microscopy has various applications in point-of-care (POC) testing and diagnostics, ranging from e.g., quantification of immunoassays, detection of microorganisms, to sensing of viruses. An important need in smartphone-based microscopy and sensing techniques is to improve the detection sensitivity to enable quantification of extremely low concentrations of target molecules. Here, we demonstrate a general strategy to enhance the detection sensitivity of a smartphone-based fluorescence microscope by using surface-enhanced fluorescence (SEF) created by a thin metal-film. In this plasmonic design, the samples are placed on a silver-coated glass slide with a thin spacer, and excited by a laser-diode from the backside through a glass hemisphere, generating surface plasmon polaritons. We optimized this mobile SEF system by tuning the metal-film thickness, spacer distance, excitation angle and polarization, and achieved ~10-fold enhancement in fluorescence intensity compared to a bare glass substrate, which enabled us to image single fluorescent particles as small as 50 nm in diameter and single quantum-dots. Furthermore, we quantified the detection limit of this platform by using DNA origami-based brightness standards, demonstrating that ~80 fluorophores per diffraction-limited spot can be readily detected by our mobile microscope, which opens up new opportunities for POC diagnostics and sensing applications in resource-limited-settings.

  11. Synthesis of silver hollow nanoparticles and observation of photoluminescence emission properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Desarkar, H.S.; Kumbhakar, P.; Mitra, A.K.

    2013-01-01

    Preparation of hollow silver nanoparticles (HSNs) along-with solid silver nanoparticles are reported by Nd:YAG laser ablation of solid silver target immersed in water medium with a laser ablation time (LAT) duration of 50 min and with the incident laser fluence of 151 J/cm 2 . It is found that only solid silver nanoparticles are produced when the experiment is carried out with smaller values of LAT duration. The synthesized samples are characterized by using transmission electron microscopy and UV–Visible absorption spectroscopy. The UV–Visible absorption spectra of the samples show sharp absorptions in the ultraviolet and in visible regions due to interband transition and surface plasmon resonance oscillations in Ag nanoparticles, respectively. It is found that all samples exhibit photoluminescence (PL) emission, at room temperature, in the UV–Visible region peaked at ∼346 nm, due to the recombination of electrons with holes from sp conduction band to d band of Ag. The sample containing HSNs exhibits strong PL emission and the value of peak PL emission intensity is enhanced by the factor of 2.4 in comparison to that obtained from the sample synthesized with LAT duration of 20 min. The synthesized HSNs may find applications in catalysis and in chemical sensing. - Highlights: ►Hollow silver nanoparticles of 15–60 nm particle sizes are prepared by laser ablation. ►Prepared Ag nanoparticles show sharp absorptions in the UV and visible regions. ►Strong interband transition along-with SPR oscillations is reported. ►Enhancement (2.4 times) in photoluminescence emission in the UV region is reported.

  12. A facile method to prepare fluorescent carbon dots and their application in selective colorimetric sensing of silver ion through the formation of silver nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ayaz Ahmed, Khan Behlol; P, Suresh Kumar; Veerappan, Anbazhagan, E-mail: anbazhagan@scbt.sastra.edu

    2016-09-15

    Herein, we report a laboratory convenient method for the preparation of blue color emitting fluorescent carbon dots (C-dots) in 60 min by boiling the alkaline solution of pectin. The C-dots derived from pectin detects selectively silver ion by forming silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) without any irradiation or heating or additional reducing agents. As prepared AgNPs appears yellow in color and showed the characteristic surface plasmon resonance maximum at 410 nm. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed crystalline, spherical AgNPs with size range from 10–15 nm. Cyclic voltammetry study revealed that the lower reduction potential of C-dots than that of silver ion favors the reduction of Ag{sup +} to Ag°. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy showed the charge transfer value for the redox reaction of C-dots as 200 Ωcm{sup 2}. In the presence of Ag{sup +}, C-dots fluorescence emission was turned from blue to cyan to green to colorless, accompanying the quenching and red shift in emission maximum at 450 nm. Interference study clearly showed that the C-dots have high preference for Ag{sup +} ion than the other interfering metal ions. The proposed sensor system selectively senses Ag{sup +} ion in water at micromolar concentration and also offers an easy procedure to prepare AgNPs in the presence of other interfering metal ions. - Highlights: • Blue color emitting C-dots was prepared by boiling alkaline pectin solution. • C-dots sense silver ion at micromolar concentration. • C-dots recognize silver ion in the presence of interfering metal ions. • Reduction potential of C-dots was estimated by cyclic voltammeter as – 0.2 V.

  13. Strong plasmonic enhancement of single molecule photostability in silver dimer optical antennas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kaminska Izabela

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Photobleaching is an effect terminating the photon output of fluorophores, limiting the duration of fluorescence-based experiments. Plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs can increase the overall fluorophore photostability through an enhancement of the radiative rate. In this work, we use the DNA origami technique to arrange a single fluorophore in the 12-nm gap of a silver NP dimer and study the number of emitted photons at the single molecule level. Our findings yielded a 30× enhancement in the average number of photons emitted before photobleaching. Numerical simulations are employed to rationalize our results. They reveal the effect of silver oxidation on decreasing the radiative rate enhancement.

  14. Nanograting-based plasmon enhancement for total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy of live cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Kyujung; Cho, Eun-Jin; Suh, Jin-Suck; Huh, Yong-Min; Kim, Donghyun; Kim, Dong Jun

    2009-01-01

    We investigated evanescent field enhancement based on subwavelength nanogratings for improved sensitivity in total internal reflection microscopy of live cells. The field enhancement is associated with subwavelength-grating-coupled plasmon excitation. An optimum sample employed a silver grating on a silver film and an SF10 glass substrate. Field intensity was enhanced by approximately 90% when measured by fluorescent excitation of microbeads relative to that on a bare prism as a control, which is in good agreement with numerical results. The subwavelength-grating-mediated field enhancement was also applied to live cell imaging of quantum dots, which confirmed the sensitivity enhancement qualitatively.

  15. Enhanced solid state emission of quinoline derivatives for fluorescent sensors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Hyong-Jun, E-mail: hkim@kongju.ac.kr

    2016-08-15

    Excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) molecules are of utmost interest in the fields of organic light emitting diode, photo-patterning, chemosensor, proton transfer laser, and photostabilizer. Fine control of the functional substituents as well as the molecular structure of core ESIPT unit is primarily demanded for specific applications. Here, the photophysics of quinoline derivatives of 2-quinolin-2-yl-phenol and 2-(8-chloroquinolin-2-yl)phenol is explored. Straightening the twist between the hydroxyphenyl and the quinoline moieties with the aid of the hydrogen bonding promoted the excited energy to flow through a radiative decay pathway via proton transfer to the nitrogen. Furthermore, close molecular packing of J-aggregates and thus resulted vibration restriction in a dense matter opens an ESIPT corridor and is characterized to show enhanced emission. The mechanism is applied to the selective Cu{sup 2+} or Fe{sup 2+} cation detection and further immunofluorescence labeling using avidin–biotin protein specific binding is demonstrated with the aid of nano self-assembly technique. - Highlights: • New orange fluorescent hydroxyphenylquinoline derivative was synthesized. • Molecular structure planarization induced enhanced fluorescence with large Stokes' shift. • Selective solution phase cation detection and solid state bio-sensing were demonstrated successfully.

  16. Gold and silver nanoparticles based superquenching of fluorescence: A review

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ghosh, Debanjana; Chattopadhyay, Nitin, E-mail: nitin.chattopadhyay@yahoo.com

    2015-04-15

    The short review highlights the recent advances on the gold and silver nanoparticles induced efficient quenching of fluorescence from various fluorophores looking at their promising use as optical rulers and chemo-/bio- sensors. The fluorescence quenching often leads to the increase in the Stern–Volmer constant (K{sub SV}~10{sup 7}–10{sup 10} mol{sup −1} dm{sup 3}) several orders of magnitude higher than the values observed for the normal photochemical quenching processes (~10{sup 2} mol{sup −1} dm{sup 3}). This amplified quenching has been termed as “super-quenching” or “hyper-quenching”. Energy transfer (ET) is established from the donor to the metal nanoparticles rationalizing these fast quenching processes. Considering the distance dependence of the ET process, Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) and nanometal surface energy transfer (NSET) are ascribed to take place. These sensitive distance dependent phenomena serve as the spectroscopic ruler to measure the intra- or intermolecular distances between the interacting partners. In this account focus has been laid on the size dependent energy transfer and super- and hyper- quenching of the fluorescence of the donor moieties by the nanometals and their probable applications in sensing. Rationalization has been made for the nanoparticle induced huge enhancement in the quenching efficiency. The impact of this review lies in the possible application of these amplified quenching processes in designing high sensitive chemical and biological sensors. - Highlights: • Super efficient quenching of fluorescence of probes by gold and silver nanoparticles is highlighted. • The amplified fluorescence quenching of dyes and polymers is rationalized. • Energy transfer is assigned to be responsible for the efficient quenching process. • Amplified quenching has its potential use in designing sensitive chemical/biological sensors.

  17. Gold and silver nanoparticles based superquenching of fluorescence: A review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghosh, Debanjana; Chattopadhyay, Nitin

    2015-01-01

    The short review highlights the recent advances on the gold and silver nanoparticles induced efficient quenching of fluorescence from various fluorophores looking at their promising use as optical rulers and chemo-/bio- sensors. The fluorescence quenching often leads to the increase in the Stern–Volmer constant (K SV ~10 7 –10 10 mol −1 dm 3 ) several orders of magnitude higher than the values observed for the normal photochemical quenching processes (~10 2 mol −1 dm 3 ). This amplified quenching has been termed as “super-quenching” or “hyper-quenching”. Energy transfer (ET) is established from the donor to the metal nanoparticles rationalizing these fast quenching processes. Considering the distance dependence of the ET process, Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) and nanometal surface energy transfer (NSET) are ascribed to take place. These sensitive distance dependent phenomena serve as the spectroscopic ruler to measure the intra- or intermolecular distances between the interacting partners. In this account focus has been laid on the size dependent energy transfer and super- and hyper- quenching of the fluorescence of the donor moieties by the nanometals and their probable applications in sensing. Rationalization has been made for the nanoparticle induced huge enhancement in the quenching efficiency. The impact of this review lies in the possible application of these amplified quenching processes in designing high sensitive chemical and biological sensors. - Highlights: • Super efficient quenching of fluorescence of probes by gold and silver nanoparticles is highlighted. • The amplified fluorescence quenching of dyes and polymers is rationalized. • Energy transfer is assigned to be responsible for the efficient quenching process. • Amplified quenching has its potential use in designing sensitive chemical/biological sensors

  18. Enhanced 3D fluorescence live cell imaging on nanoplasmonic substrate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gartia, Manas Ranjan; Hsiao, Austin; Logan Liu, G; Sivaguru, Mayandi; Chen Yi

    2011-01-01

    We have created a randomly distributed nanocone substrate on silicon coated with silver for surface-plasmon-enhanced fluorescence detection and 3D cell imaging. Optical characterization of the nanocone substrate showed it can support several plasmonic modes (in the 300-800 nm wavelength range) that can be coupled to a fluorophore on the surface of the substrate, which gives rise to the enhanced fluorescence. Spectral analysis suggests that a nanocone substrate can create more excitons and shorter lifetime in the model fluorophore Rhodamine 6G (R6G) due to plasmon resonance energy transfer from the nanocone substrate to the nearby fluorophore. We observed three-dimensional fluorescence enhancement on our substrate shown from the confocal fluorescence imaging of chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells grown on the substrate. The fluorescence intensity from the fluorophores bound on the cell membrane was amplified more than 100-fold as compared to that on a glass substrate. We believe that strong scattering within the nanostructured area coupled with random scattering inside the cell resulted in the observed three-dimensional enhancement in fluorescence with higher photostability on the substrate surface.

  19. Enhanced 3D fluorescence live cell imaging on nanoplasmonic substrate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gartia, Manas Ranjan [Department of Nuclear, Plasma and Radiological Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Hsiao, Austin; Logan Liu, G [Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Sivaguru, Mayandi [Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Chen Yi, E-mail: loganliu@illinois.edu [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States)

    2011-09-07

    We have created a randomly distributed nanocone substrate on silicon coated with silver for surface-plasmon-enhanced fluorescence detection and 3D cell imaging. Optical characterization of the nanocone substrate showed it can support several plasmonic modes (in the 300-800 nm wavelength range) that can be coupled to a fluorophore on the surface of the substrate, which gives rise to the enhanced fluorescence. Spectral analysis suggests that a nanocone substrate can create more excitons and shorter lifetime in the model fluorophore Rhodamine 6G (R6G) due to plasmon resonance energy transfer from the nanocone substrate to the nearby fluorophore. We observed three-dimensional fluorescence enhancement on our substrate shown from the confocal fluorescence imaging of chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells grown on the substrate. The fluorescence intensity from the fluorophores bound on the cell membrane was amplified more than 100-fold as compared to that on a glass substrate. We believe that strong scattering within the nanostructured area coupled with random scattering inside the cell resulted in the observed three-dimensional enhancement in fluorescence with higher photostability on the substrate surface.

  20. [Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer Detection of Cobalt Ions by Silver Triangular Nanoplates and Rhodamine 6G].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xiu-qing; Peng, Jun; Ling, Jian; Liu, Chao-juan; Cao, Qiu-e; Ding, Zhong-tao

    2015-04-01

    In the present paper, the authors studied fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) phenomenon between silver triangular nanoplates and bovine serum albumin (BSA)/Rhodamine 6G fluorescence complex, and established a fluorescence method for the detection of cobalt ions. We found that when increasing the silver triangular nanoplates added to certain concentrations of fluorescent bovine serum albumin (BSA)/Rhodamine 6G complex, the fluorescence of Rhodamine 6G would be quenched up to 80% due to the FRET between the quencher and donor. However, in the presence of cobalt ions, the disassociation of the fluorescent complex from silver triangular nanoplates occurred and the fluorescence of the Rhodamine 6G recovered. The recovery of fluorescence intensity rate (I/I0) has a good relationship with the cobalt ion concentration (cCO2+) added. Thus, the authors developed a fluorescence method for the detection of cobalt ions based on the FRET of silver triangular nanoplates and Rhodamine 6G.

  1. Nano-Gap Embedded Plasmonic Gratings for Surface Plasmon Enhanced Fluorescence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhatnagar, Kunal; Bok, Sangho; Korampally, Venumadhav; Gangopadhyay, Shubhra

    2012-02-01

    Plasmonic nanostructures have been extensively used in the past few decades for applications in sub-wavelength optics, data storage, optoelectronic circuits, microscopy and bio-photonics. The enhanced electromagnetic field produced at the metal/dielectric interface by the excitation of surface plasmons via incident radiation can be used for signal enhancement in fluorescence and surface enhanced Raman scattering studies. Novel plasmonic structures on the sub wavelength scale have been shown to provide very efficient and extreme light concentration at the nano-scale. The enhanced electric field produced within a few hundred nanometers of these structures can be used to excite fluorophores in the surrounding environment. Fluorescence based bio-detection and bio-imaging are two of the most important tools in the life sciences. Improving the qualities and capabilities of fluorescence based detectors and imaging equipment has been a big challenge to the industry manufacturers. We report the novel fabrication of nano-gap embedded periodic grating substrates on the nanoscale using micro-contact printing and polymethylsilsesquioxane (PMSSQ) polymer. Fluorescence enhancement of up to 118 times was observed with these silver nanostructures in conjugation with Rhodamine-590 fluorescent dye. These substrates are ideal candidates for low-level fluorescence detection and single molecule imaging.

  2. Gold nanodisc arrays as near infrared metal-enhanced fluorescence platforms with tuneable enhancement factors

    KAUST Repository

    Pang, J.; Theodorou, I. G.; Centeno, A.; Petrov, P. K.; Alford, N. M.; Ryan, M. P.; Xie, F.

    2016-01-01

    Metal enhanced fluorescence (MEF) is a physical effect through which the near-field interaction of fluorophores with metallic nanoparticles can lead to large fluorescence enhancement. MEF can be exploited in many fluorescence-based biomedical applications, with potentially significant improvement in detection sensitivity and contrast enhancement. Offering lower autofluorescence and minimal photoinduced damage, the development of effective and multifunctional MEF platforms in the near-infrared (NIR) region, is particularly desirable. In this work, the enhancement of NIR fluorescence caused by interaction with regular arrays of cylindrical gold (Au) nanoparticles (nanodiscs), fabricated through nanosphere lithography, is reported. Significant MEF of up to 235 times is obtained, with tuneable enhancement factors. The effect of array structure on fluorescence enhancement is investigated by semi-quantitatively de-convoluting excitation enhancement from emission enhancement, and modelling the local electric field enhancement. By considering arrays of Au nanodiscs with the same extinction maximum, it is shown that the excitation enhancement, due to increased electric field, is not significantly different for the particle sizes and separation distances considered. Rather, it is seen that the emission from the fluorophore is strongly enhanced, and is dependent on the topography, in particular particle size. The results show that the structural characteristics of Au nanodisc arrays can be manipulated to tune their enhancement factor, and hence their sensitivity.

  3. Gold nanodisc arrays as near infrared metal-enhanced fluorescence platforms with tuneable enhancement factors

    KAUST Repository

    Pang, J.

    2016-12-28

    Metal enhanced fluorescence (MEF) is a physical effect through which the near-field interaction of fluorophores with metallic nanoparticles can lead to large fluorescence enhancement. MEF can be exploited in many fluorescence-based biomedical applications, with potentially significant improvement in detection sensitivity and contrast enhancement. Offering lower autofluorescence and minimal photoinduced damage, the development of effective and multifunctional MEF platforms in the near-infrared (NIR) region, is particularly desirable. In this work, the enhancement of NIR fluorescence caused by interaction with regular arrays of cylindrical gold (Au) nanoparticles (nanodiscs), fabricated through nanosphere lithography, is reported. Significant MEF of up to 235 times is obtained, with tuneable enhancement factors. The effect of array structure on fluorescence enhancement is investigated by semi-quantitatively de-convoluting excitation enhancement from emission enhancement, and modelling the local electric field enhancement. By considering arrays of Au nanodiscs with the same extinction maximum, it is shown that the excitation enhancement, due to increased electric field, is not significantly different for the particle sizes and separation distances considered. Rather, it is seen that the emission from the fluorophore is strongly enhanced, and is dependent on the topography, in particular particle size. The results show that the structural characteristics of Au nanodisc arrays can be manipulated to tune their enhancement factor, and hence their sensitivity.

  4. Interactions between colloidal silver and photosynthetic pigments located in cyanobacteria fragments and in solution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siejak, Przemysław; Frackowiak, Danuta

    2007-09-25

    Changes in the yield of the fluorescence emitted by pigments of photosynthetic organisms could be used for the establishment of the presence of some toxic substances. The presence of colloidal metals can be indicated by enhancement of pigments' emission as a result of plasmons generation. The spectra of the pigments of cyanobacterium Synechocystis located in the bacterium fragments and in solutions with and without colloidal silver additions have been measured. The quantum yield of the pigments' fluorescence in solution has been observed to increase at some wavelength of excitation, while the fluorescence of the pigments in the bacteria fragments has been only quenched as a consequence of interactions with colloidal silver particles. Close contact between pigment molecules located in bacteria fragments and silver particles is probably not possible. We plan in future to investigate the influence of other, more typical metal pollutants of water, using similar spectral methods and several other photosynthetic bacteria pigments, in solution, in cell fragments and in the whole bacteria organisms.

  5. Effect of silver nanoparticles on the 1.53 μm fluorescence in Er3+/Yb3+ codoped tellurite glasses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Libo; Zhou, Yaxun; Zhou, Zizhong; Cheng, Pan; Huang, Bo; Yang, Fengjing; Li, Jun

    2016-07-01

    Improving the spectroscopic properties of rare earth (RE) doped glass materials is a challenging task. In the present work the metallic silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were embedded into Er3+/Yb3+ codoped tellurite glasses with composition TeO2-Bi2O3-TiO2, prepared using melt-quenching and subsequent heat-treated techniques, and the improved effect of Ag NPs on the 1.53 μm band fluorescence of Er3+ ions was investigated. About 24 h heat-treatment of Er3+/Yb3+ codoped tellurite glass containing 1 mol % amount of AgNO3 at the temperature 370 °C yielded the well-dispersed and near-spherical Ag NPs with ∼11.4 nm average diameter as evidenced by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image. The intense 1.53 μm band fluorescence was observed in the prepared Er3+/Yb3+ codoped tellurite glasses under the excitation of 980 nm and was further improved with the presence of Ag NPs in the glass matrix, which is attributed to the enhanced local electric field around doped RE ions induced by Ag NPs and the possible energy transfer from Ag NPs to Er3+ ions. The enhanced local electric field was well demonstrated by comparing the variation of emission spectra of hypersensitive probe Eu3+ ions in tellurite glasses with and without Ag NPs. From the Judd-Ofelt analysis, it was also found that the value of Ω6 intensity parameter increased slightly with the increase of Ag NPs concentration in a certain range, also confirming the possibility of realizing strong fluorescence emission. In addition, the amorphous structural nature was demonstrated by the measured X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns with no sharp diffraction peak. The enhanced 1.53 μm band fluorescence indicates that the Er3+/Yb3+ codoped tellurite glass with an appropriate amount of Ag NPs is a promising candidate for the development of Er3+-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs) applied in the WDM systems.

  6. Nanoscale control of Ag nanostructures for plasmonic fluorescence enhancement of near-infrared dyes

    KAUST Repository

    Xie, Fang

    2013-05-23

    Potential utilization of proteins for early detection and diagnosis of various diseases has drawn considerable interest in the development of protein-based detection techniques. Metal induced fluorescence enhancement offers the possibility of increasing the sensitivity of protein detection in clinical applications. We report the use of tunable plasmonic silver nanostructures for the fluorescence enhancement of a near-infrared (NIR) dye (Alexa Fluor 790). Extensive fluorescence enhancement of ∼2 orders of magnitude is obtained by the nanoscale control of the Ag nanostructure dimensions and interparticle distance. These Ag nanostructures also enhanced fluorescence from a dye with very high quantum yield (7.8 fold for Alexa Fluor 488, quantum efficiency (Qy) = 0.92). A combination of greatly enhanced excitation and an increased radiative decay rate, leading to an associated enhancement of the quantum efficiency leads to the large enhancement. These results show the potential of Ag nanostructures as metal induced fluorescence enhancement (MIFE) substrates for dyes in the NIR "biological window" as well as the visible region. Ag nanostructured arrays fabricated by colloidal lithography thus show great potential for NIR dye-based biosensing applications. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] © 2013 Tsinghua University Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

  7. Silver nanoparticles in X-ray biomedical applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mattea, Facundo; Vedelago, José; Malano, Francisco; Gomez, Cesar; Strumia, Miriam C.

    2017-01-01

    The fluorescence of silver nanoparticles or ions can be used for detection and dose enhancement purposes in X-ray irradiation applications. This study is focused on the full integration of the chemical synthesis of silver nanoparticles suitable for dosimetric and radiological purposes with characteristics that can be exploited in radiotherapy and radiodiagnostic. A narrow size distribution and a compatible stabilizing agent is often desired in order to obtain homogeneous behaviors in nanoparticle suspension. With the method proposed in this study, nanoparticles ranging from 5 to 20 nm were obtained. The fluorescence of aqueous suspensions of silver nanoparticles has been measured experimentally and simulated with the Monte Carlo PENELOPE code for different silver concentrations and geometrical configurations. Finally, the feasibility of using these nanoparticles for the elaboration of Fricke gel dosimeters has been tested obtaining a dose enhancement when compared with the same material irradiated below the silver K-edge. - Highlights: • A method to compare NP's fluorescence in simulations and experiments was developed. • Silver nanoparticles suitable for typical dosimetry systems were synthesized. • Concentration and depth of a Ag doped volume was measured with X-ray fluorescence. • A feasibility test of Ag NPs in Fricke gel dosimetry was performed. • Good agreement between Monte Carlo simulations and experiments was obtained.

  8. Plasma characterization using terahertz-wave-enhanced fluorescence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Jingle; Zhang, X.-C.

    2010-01-01

    We demonstrate that the terahertz-wave-enhanced fluorescence emission from excited atoms or molecules can be employed in the characterization of laser-induced gas plasmas. The electron relaxation time and plasma density were deduced through applying the electron impact excitation/ionization and electron-ion recombination processes to the measured time-dependent enhanced fluorescence. The electron collision dynamics of nitrogen plasma excited at different gas pressures and laser pulse energies have been systematically investigated. This plasma characterization method provides picosecond temporal resolution and enables omnidirectional optical signal collection.

  9. Pyrrolo-dC Metal-Mediated Base Pairs in the Reverse Watson-Crick Double Helix: Enhanced Stability of Parallel DNA and Impact of 6-Pyridinyl Residues on Fluorescence and Silver-Ion Binding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Haozhe; Mei, Hui; Seela, Frank

    2015-07-06

    Reverse Watson-Crick DNA with parallel-strand orientation (ps DNA) has been constructed. Pyrrolo-dC (PyrdC) nucleosides with phenyl and pyridinyl residues linked to the 6 position of the pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine base have been incorporated in 12- and 25-mer oligonucleotide duplexes and utilized as silver-ion binding sites. Thermal-stability studies on the parallel DNA strands demonstrated extremely strong silver-ion binding and strongly enhanced duplex stability. Stoichiometric UV and fluorescence titration experiments verified that a single (2py) PyrdC-(2py) PyrdC pair captures two silver ions in ps DNA. A structure for the PyrdC silver-ion base pair that aligns 7-deazapurine bases head-to-tail instead of head-to-head, as suggested for canonical DNA, is proposed. The silver DNA double helix represents the first example of a ps DNA structure built up of bidentate and tridentate reverse Watson-Crick base pairs stabilized by a dinuclear silver-mediated PyrdC pair. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  10. Study on silicon oxide coated on silver nanocrystal to enhance fluorescence intensity of rare earth complexes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Qu, Yan-rong; Lin, Xue-mei; Wang, Ai-ling; Wang, Zhong-xia; Kang, Jie; Chu, Hai-bin, E-mail: binghai99@gmail.com; Zhao, Yong-liang, E-mail: hxzhaoyl@163.com

    2014-10-15

    Twelve kinds of rare earth complexes were synthesized using halo-benzoic acid as anion ligand and Sm{sup 3+} and Dy{sup 3+} as central ions, respectively. The complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, rare earth coordination titration and electrospray ionization mass spectra, from which the compositions of the complexes were confirmed to be RE(p-FBA){sub 3}·H{sub 2}O, RE(p-ClBA){sub 3}·2H{sub 2}O, RE(p-BrBA){sub 3}·H{sub 2}O, RE(o-FBA){sub 3}·2H{sub 2}O, RE(o-ClBA){sub 3}·H{sub 2}O, RE(o-BrBA){sub 3}·H{sub 2}O (RE=Sm{sup 3+}, Dy{sup 3+}). Besides, IR spectra and UV–visible absorption spectroscopy indicated that the carboxyl oxygen atoms of ligands coordinated to the rare earth ions. Moreover, Ag@SiO{sub 2} core–shell nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared via a modified Stöber method. The average diameters of silver cores were typically between 60 nm and 70 nm, and the thicknesses of the SiO{sub 2} shells were around 10 nm, 15 nm and 25 nm, respectively. The influence of Ag@SiO{sub 2} NPs on the luminescence properties of the rare earth complexes showed that the luminescence intensities of rare earth complexes were enhanced remarkably. As the thickness of SiO{sub 2} shell increases in the range of 10–25 nm, the effect of metal-enhanced fluorescence become obvious. The mechanism of the changes of the fluorescence intensity is also discussed. - Highlights: • Among 10–25 nm, the thicker the shell thickness, the better the fluorescence effect. • The strong the intensity of the pure complexes, the smaller the multiple enhanced. • The intensity of Sm(p-BrBA){sub 3}·H{sub 2}O is the strongest among Sm(p-XBA){sub 3}·nH{sub 2}O complexes. • The intensity of Dy(p-ClBA){sub 3}·2H{sub 2}O is the strongest among Dy(p-XBA){sub 3}·nH{sub 2}O complexes. • When halogen is in o-position, the intensity of RE(o-ClBA){sub 3}·H{sub 2}O is the strongest.

  11. Plasmon-enhanced fluorescence near nonlocal metallic nanospheres

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tserkezis, Christos; Stefanou, N.; Wubs, Martijn

    Spontaneous emission and fluorescence of organic molecules are known to strongly depend on the local electromagnetic environment. Plasmonic nanoparticles are widely explored as templates for controlling light-matter interactions, and can be tailored to optimize the fluorescence rate (Ȗem......) and the generalized nonlocal optical response (GNOR) theory [2] shows that a significant decrease in fluorescence enhancement is obtained for emitters close to small metallic nanospheres or thin metallic nanoshells, while the optimum emitter position is also affected. In this respect, our recent work introduces...

  12. Capability of ds-DNA duplex structure in growing fluorescent silver nanoclusters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, Tao; Lin, Fan; Hu, Yuehua; Wang, Ying; Zhou, Xiaoshun; Shao, Yong

    2016-01-01

    Silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) have attracted wide interests in variant fields due to their easy synthesis and practical tunability in fluorescence properties. DNA has been generally used as the host to grow AgNCs due to the sequence-dependent fluorescence behavior. Actually, in such DNA, various ss-DNA segments that are structurally confined by the rigid ds-DNA counterparts have been used as the AgNCsГ—Ві growth sites. However, whether the ds-DNA structure plays somewhat role in AgNCsГ—Ві creation has not been well elucidated. Herein, we found that ds-DNA can also accommodate the growth of fluorescent AgNCs. The fluorescent AgNCs grown on ds-DNA should be separated each other and the G/C base pairs with right context sequences are the growth sites of fluorescent AgNCs. The intermediate A/T base pair among the continuous G/C ones seems to quench the growth of fluorescent AgNCs. For the repeat sequences, the fluorescence band position of AgNCs is not changed but the intensity is enhanced upon increasing the ds-DNA length, which is different from the results obtained with the previously reported ss-DNAs. AgNCs should be grown on the ds-DNA major groove, as convinced by the cytosine methylation experiment. Our work demonstrates that besides the ss-DNA role in defining AgNCs, one should also take into account the critical role of the ds-DNA segment in tuning the AgNCsГ—Ві fluorescence property.

  13. Fluorescent carbon quantum dot hydrogels for direct determination of silver ions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cayuela, A; Soriano, M L; Kennedy, S R; Steed, J W; Valcárcel, M

    2016-05-01

    The paper reports for the first time the direct determination of silver ion (Ag(+)) using luminescent Carbon Quantum Dot hydrogels (CQDGs). Carbon Quantum Dots (CQDs) with different superficial moieties (passivate-CQDs with carboxylic groups, thiol-CQDs and amine-CQDs) were used to prepare hybrid gels using a low molecular weight hydrogelator (LMWG). The use of the gels results in considerable fluorescence enhancement and also markedly influences selectivity. The most selective CQDG system for Ag(+) ion detection proved to be those containing carboxylic groups onto their surface. The selectivity towards Ag(+) ions is possibly due to its flexible coordination sphere compared with other metal ions. This fluorescent sensing platform is based on the strong Ag-O interaction which can quench the photoluminescence of passivate-CQDs (p-CQDs) through charge transfer. The limit of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) of the proposed method were 0.55 and 1.83µgmL(-1), respectively, being applied in river water samples. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Creating infinite contrast in fluorescence microscopy by using lanthanide centered emission

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    R. Carro-Temboury, Miguel; Arppe, Riikka Matleena; Hempel, Casper

    2017-01-01

    The popularity of fluorescence microscopy arises from the inherent mode of action, where the fluorescence emission from probes is used to visualize selected features on a presumed dark background. However, the background is rarely truly dark, and image processing and analysis is needed to enhance...

  15. Label-Free Fluorescent Detection of Trypsin Activity Based on DNA-Stabilized Silver Nanocluster-Peptide Conjugates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cai-Xia Zhuo

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Trypsin is important during the regulation of pancreatic exocrine function. The detection of trypsin activity is currently limited because of the need for the substrate to be labeled with a fluorescent tag. A label-free fluorescent method has been developed to monitor trypsin activity. The designed peptide probe consists of six arginine molecules and a cysteine terminus and can be conjugated to DNA-stabilized silver nanoclusters (DNA-AgNCs by Ag-S bonding to enhance fluorescence. The peptide probe can also be adsorbed to the surface of graphene oxide (GO, thus resulting in the fluorescence quenching of DNA-AgNCs-peptide conjugate because of Förster resonance energy transfer. Once trypsin had degraded the peptide probe into amino acid residues, the DNA-AgNCs were released from the surface of GO, and the enhanced fluorescence of DNA-AgNCs was restored. Trypsin can be determined with a linear range of 0.0–50.0 ng/mL with a concentration as low as 1 ng/mL. This label-free method is simple and sensitive and has been successfully used for the determination of trypsin in serum. The method can also be modified to detect other proteases.

  16. Saturated virtual fluorescence emission difference microscopy based on detector array

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Shaocong; Sun, Shiyi; Kuang, Cuifang; Ge, Baoliang; Wang, Wensheng; Liu, Xu

    2017-07-01

    Virtual fluorescence emission difference microscopy (vFED) has been proposed recently to enhance the lateral resolution of confocal microscopy with a detector array, implemented by scanning a doughnut-shaped pattern. Theoretically, the resolution can be enhanced by around 1.3-fold compared with that in confocal microscopy. For further improvement of the resolving ability of vFED, a novel method is presented utilizing fluorescence saturation for super-resolution imaging, which we called saturated virtual fluorescence emission difference microscopy (svFED). With a point detector array, matched solid and hollow point spread functions (PSF) can be obtained by photon reassignment, and the difference results between them can be used to boost the transverse resolution. Results show that the diffraction barrier can be surpassed by at least 34% compared with that in vFED and the resolution is around 2-fold higher than that in confocal microscopy.

  17. Solvent induced fluorescence enhancement of graphene oxide studied by ultrafast spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Litao; Chen, Jinquan; He, Xiaoxiao; Yu, Xiantong; Yan, Shujun; Zhang, Sanjun; Pan, Haifeng; Xu, Jianhua

    2018-05-01

    Femtosecond transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy combined with picosecond time resolved fluorescence (TRF) were used to reveal the fluorescence kinetics of graphene oxide (GO) in water, ethanol and water-ethanol mixtures. Size-independent fluorescence of GO were observed in water, and pH-dependent fluorescence spectra could be fitted well by a triple emission relaxation with peaks around 440 nm, 500 nm, and 590 nm respectively. The results indicate that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) linked by oxygen-containing functional groups dominate GO's fluorescence emission. GO's fluorescence quantum yield was measured to be 2.8% in ethanol but 1.2% in water. The three decay components fluorescence decay, as well as the transient absorption dynamics with an offset, confirmed this solvent induced fluorescence enhancement. GO's Raman spectral signals showed that GO in ethanol has a smaller average size of PAHs than that of GO in water. Therefore, besides other enhancement effects reported in literatures, we proposed that solvents could also change the size of PAHs, resulting in a photoluminescence enhancement. Our experimental data demonstrates that GO's quantum yield could be up to 2.8% in water and 8.4% in ethanol and this observation may help ones to improve GO's photoluminescence efficiency as well as its applications in solution.

  18. Novel room temperature ionic liquid for fluorescence enhancement of Eu3+ and Tb3+

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shyamala Devi, V.; Maji, S.; Viswanathan, K.S.

    2011-01-01

    The newly prepared ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium benzoate, ([bmim][BA]), was found to enhance the fluorescence of Eu 3+ and Tb 3+ . The fluorescence enhancement resulted from a sensitization of the lanthanide fluorescence by the benzoate anion of the ionic liquid, [bmim][BA], and a reduction in the non-radiative channels in the non-aqueous environment provided by the ionic liquid. However, the fluorescence enhancement of the lanthanides in the ionic liquid was limited due to the operation of the inner filter effect, which resulted from the strong absorption of the benzoate. The inner filter effect was minimized by observing the Eu 3+ fluorescence using a front face geometry and also by diluting the lanthanide-[bmim][BA] system, using another ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([bmim][Tf 2 N]), as a solvent. In the case of Tb 3+ , the emission from the lanthanide was masked by the strong emission from the ionic liquid in the region 450-580 nm. The long lived Tb 3+ emission was therefore observed using delayed gated detection, where an appropriate delay was used to discriminate against the short lived emission from the ionic liquid. The large fluorescence enhancement due to ligand sensitized fluorescence observed with [bmim][BA] diluted in [bmim][Tf 2 N], leads to nanomolar detection of the lanthanides. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first report of an ionic liquid being employed for ligand sensitized fluorescence enhancement of lanthanides. - Research highlights: →The use of an ionic liquid to enhance the fluorescence of lanthanides, Eu 3+ and Tb 3+ is discussed in this paper. → This study represents the first report of the use of a tailored ionic liquid for the purposes of fluorescence enhancement. → The fluorescence enhancement is achieved both a process of ligand sensitization, as well as reducing the non-radiative decay channels. → The first point is achieved by the use of an anion capable

  19. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering from silver electrodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trott, G.R.

    1982-01-01

    The chemical and physical origins of the anomalously large enhancement of the Raman scattering cross section for molecules adsorbed on silver electrodes in an electrochemical cell were investigated. The effect of the chemical reactions which occur during the anodization/activation procedure were studied using the Ag-CN system. It was shown that the function of the anodization process is to roughen the electrode surface and create an activated site for bonding to the cyanide. A new nonelectrochemical technique for activating the silver surface, along with a study of the enhanced cyanide Raman scattering in different background electrolytes, showed that the Raman active entity on the surface must be a silver-cyanide complex. In order to study the physical mechanism of the enhancement, the angular dependence of the scattered radiation was measured from pyridine adsorbed on an evaporated silver electrode. Both polycrystalline and single crystalline silver films were used. The angular dependence of the scattered radiation from these films showed that the metal surface was controlling the directional properties of the scattered radiation, and not the polarizability tensor of the adsorbate. Based on these experimental results, it was concluded that for weakly roughened silver electrodes the source of the anomalous enhancement is due to a resonant Raman scattering process

  20. A distance-dependent metal-enhanced fluorescence sensing platform based on molecular beacon design.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Zhenpeng; Huang, Hongduan; Chen, Yang; Liu, Feng; Huang, Cheng Zhi; Li, Na

    2014-02-15

    A new metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF) based platform was developed on the basis of distance-dependent fluorescence quenching-enhancement effect, which combined the easiness of Ag-thiol chemistry with the MEF property of noble-metal structures as well as the molecular beacon design. For the given sized AgNPs, the fluorescence enhancement factor was found to increase with a d(6) dependency in agreement with fluorescence resonance energy transfer mechanism at shorter distance and decrease with a d(-3) dependency in agreement with plasmonic enhancement mechanism at longer distance between the fluorophore and the AgNP surface. As a proof of concept, the platform was demonstrated by a sensitive detection of mercuric ions, using thymine-containing molecular beacon to tune silver nanoparticle (AgNP)-enhanced fluorescence. Mercuric ions were detected via formation of a thymine-mercuric-thymine structure to open the hairpin, facilitating fluorescence recovery and AgNP enhancement to yield a limit of detection of 1 nM, which is well below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulation of the Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (10nM) in drinking water. Since the AgNP functioned as not only a quencher to reduce the reagent blank signal but also an enhancement substrate to increase fluorescence of the open hairpin when target mercuric ions were present, the quenching-enhancement strategy can greatly improve the detection sensitivity and can in principle be a universal approach for various targets when combined with molecular beacon design. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Nonlinear-Optical and Fluorescent Properties of Ag Aqueous Colloid Prepared by Silver Nitrate Reduction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoqiang Zhang

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The nonlinear-optical properties of metal Ag colloidal solutions, which were prepared by the reduction of silver nitrate, were investigated using Z-scan method. Under picosecond 532 nm excitation, the Ag colloidal solution exhibited negative nonlinear refractive index (n2=−5.17×10−4 cm2/W and reverse saturable absorption coefficient (β=4.32 cm/GW. The data fitting result of optical limiting (OL response of metal Ag colloidal solution indicated that the nonlinear absorption was attributed to two-photon absorption effect at 532 nm. Moreover, the fluorescence emission spectra of Ag colloidal solution were recorded under excitations at both 280 nm and 350 nm. Two fluorescence peaks, 336 nm and 543 nm for 280 nm excitation, while 544 nm and 694 nm for 350 nm excitation, were observed.

  2. Silver nanoparticles plasmonic effect on eosin and rhodamine 6G luminescence in various media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samusev, Ilia G.; Tikhomirova, Nadezhda S.; Slezhkin, Vasiliy A.; Zyubin, Andrey Yu.; Bryukhanov, Valery V.; Tsibulnikova, Anna V.

    2016-11-01

    The plasmonic enhancement and quenching of phosphorescence and fluorescence of the anionic (eosin) and cationic (rhodamine 6G) dyes have been studied in various environments: silver nanoparticles of silver hydrosol citrate in water, in polymer films and on the surface of nanoporous silica in order to determine the kinetic and spectral effects on the dye luminescence. Depending on the silver nanoparticles concentration both the enhancement and quenching of the dyes phosphorescence and fluorescence have been detected. The mechanism of interaction between the excited molecules and silver nanoparticles has been discussed.

  3. Field emission studies of silver nanoparticles synthesized by electron cyclotron resonance plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Purohit, Vishwas; Mazumder, Baishakhi; Bhise, A.B.; Poddar, Pankaj; Joag, D.S.; Bhoraskar, S.V.

    2011-01-01

    Field emission has been studied for silver nanoparticles (25-200 nm), deposited within a cylindrical silver target in an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma. Particle size distribution was controlled by optimum biasing voltages between the chamber and the target. Presence of non-oxidized silver was confirmed from the X-Ray diffraction analysis; however, thin protective layer of oxide was identified from the selective area electron diffraction pattern obtained with transmission electron microscopy. The silver nanoparticles were seen to exhibit hilly pointed like structures when viewed under the atomic force microscopy (AFM). The emissive properties of these particles were investigated by field emission microscopy. It is found that this technique of deposition is ideal for formation of nanoparticles films on different substrate geometries with size controllability as well as its application to emission devices.

  4. Label-Free Detection of Sequence-Specific DNA Based on Fluorescent Silver Nanoclusters-Assisted Surface Plasmon-Enhanced Energy Transfer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Jin-Liang; Yin, Bin-Cheng; Le, Huynh-Nhu; Ye, Bang-Ce

    2015-06-17

    We have developed a label-free method for sequence-specific DNA detection based on surface plasmon enhanced energy transfer (SPEET) process between fluorescent DNA/AgNC string and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). DNA/AgNC string, prepared by a single-stranded DNA template encoded two emitter-nucleation sequences at its termini and an oligo spacer in the middle, was rationally designed to produce bright fluorescence emission. The proposed method takes advantage of two strategies. The first one is the difference in binding properties of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) toward AuNPs. The second one is SPEET process between fluorescent DNA/AgNC string and AuNPs, in which fluorescent DNA/AgNC string can be spontaneously adsorbed onto the surface of AuNPs and correspondingly AuNPs serve as "nanoquencher" to quench the fluorescence of DNA/AgNC string. In the presence of target DNA, the sensing probe hybridized with target DNA to form duplex DNA, leading to a salt-induced AuNP aggregation and subsequently weakened SPEET process between fluorescent DNA/AgNC string and AuNPs. A red-to-blue color change of AuNPs and a concomitant fluorescence increase were clearly observed in the sensing system, which had a concentration dependent manner with specific DNA. The proposed method achieved a detection limit of ∼2.5 nM, offering the following merits of simple design, convenient operation, and low experimental cost because of no chemical modification, organic dye, enzymatic reaction, or separation procedure involved.

  5. Creating infinite contrast in fluorescence microscopy by using lanthanide centered emission

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    R. Carro-Temboury, Miguel; Arppe, Riikka Matleena; Hempel, Casper

    2017-01-01

    The popularity of fluorescence microscopy arises from the inherent mode of action, where the fluorescence emission from probes is used to visualize selected features on a presumed dark background. However, the background is rarely truly dark, and image processing and analysis is needed to enhance...... the fluorescent signal that is ascribed to the selected feature. The image acquisition is facilitated by using considerable illumination, bright probes at a relatively high concentration in order to make the fluorescent signal significantly more intense than the background signal. Here, we present two methods......, while method II resolves the fluorescent signal by subtracting a background calculated via the gradient. Both methods improve signal-to-background ratio significantly and we suggest that spectral imaging of lanthanide-centered emission can be used as a tool to obtain absolute contrast in bioimaging....

  6. Autometallography: tissue metals demonstrated by a silver enhancement kit

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Danscher, G; Nørgaard, J O; Baatrup, E

    1987-01-01

    , primarily intended for the amplification of colloidal gold particles, has been used to demonstrate these catalytic tissue metals. Sections from animals exposed intravitally to aurothiomalatate, silver lactate, mercury chloride, sodium selenite or perfused with sodium sulphide were subjected to a commercial......In biological tissue, minute accumulations of gold, silver, mercury and zinc can be visualized by a technique whereby metallic silver is precipitated on tiny accumulations of the two noble metals, or on selenites or sulphides of all four metals. In the present study a silver enhancement kit...... silver enhancement kit (IntenSE, Janssen Pharmaceutica). It was found that the kit performs adequately to the silver lactate gum arabic developer and to the photographic emulsion technique. The kit can be used as a silver enhancement medium for the demonstration of zinc by the Neo-Timm and selenium...

  7. Some considerations on X-ray fluorescence use in museum measurements - The case of medieval silver coins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Constantinescu, B.; Bugoi, R.; Oberlaender-Tarnoveanu, E.; Parvan, K.

    2005-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to give a general layout for the potential applications of Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (ED-XRF) technique for ancient silver coin characterization, using in-situ (in museums) measurements. Examples concerning originality testing, provenance (mines, workshops) identification, counterfeits selection, historical studies (manufacturing technologies, commercial, military and political relationships) are given. Two study cases of medieval coins are described: German brakteaten pfennige and Moldavian groschen. Other analysis methods and their use in the study of medieval coins are illustrated with the example of Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) technique. (authors)

  8. Plasmon-assisted photoluminescence enhancement of SiC nanocrystals by proximal silver nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, N.; Dai, D.J.; Fan, J.Y.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► We studied metal surface plasmon-enhanced photoluminescence in SiC nanocrystals. ► The integrated emission intensity can be enhanced by 17 times. ► The coupling between SiC emission and Ag plasmon oscillation induces the enhancement. ► The enhancement is tunable with varied spacing thickness of electrolytes. - Abstract: Plasmon-enhanced photoluminescence has wide application potential in many areas, whereas the underlying mechanism is still in debate. We report the photoluminescence enhancement in SiC nanocrystal–Ag nanoparticle coupled system spaced by the poly(styrene sulfonic acid) sodium salt/poly(allylamine hydrochloride) polyelectrolyte bilayers. The integrated luminescence intensity can be improved by up to 17 times. Our analysis indicates that the strong coupling between the SiC nanocrystals and the surface plasmon oscillation of the silver nanoparticles is the major cause of the luminescence enhancement. These findings will help to understand the photoluminescence enhancement mechanism as well as widen the applications of the SiC nanocrystals in photonics and life sciences.

  9. Fluorescence enhancement in large-scale self-assembled gold nanoparticle double arrays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chekini, M.; Bierwagen, J.; Cunningham, A.; Bürgi, T.; Filter, R.; Rockstuhl, C.

    2015-01-01

    Localized surface plasmon resonances excited in metallic nanoparticles confine and enhance electromagnetic fields at the nanoscale. This is particularly pronounced in dimers made from two closely spaced nanoparticles. When quantum emitters, such as dyes, are placed in the gap of those dimers, their absorption and emission characteristics can be modified. Both processes have to be considered when aiming to enhance the fluorescence from the quantum emitters. This is particularly challenging for dimers, since the electromagnetic properties and the enhanced fluorescence sensitively depend on the distance between the nanoparticles. Here, we use a layer-by-layer method to precisely control the distances in such systems. We consider a dye layer deposited on top of an array of gold nanoparticles or integrated into a central position of a double array of gold nanoparticles. We study the effect of the spatial arrangement and the average distance on the plasmon-enhanced fluorescence. We found a maximum of a 99-fold increase in the fluorescence intensity of the dye layer sandwiched between two gold nanoparticle arrays. The interaction of the dye layer with the plasmonic system also causes a spectral shift in the emission wavelengths and a shortening of the fluorescence life times. Our work paves the way for large-scale, high throughput, and low-cost self-assembled functionalized plasmonic systems that can be used as efficient light sources

  10. Novel room temperature ionic liquid for fluorescence enhancement of Eu{sup 3+} and Tb{sup 3+}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shyamala Devi, V.; Maji, S. [Materials Chemistry Division, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603 102 (India); Viswanathan, K.S., E-mail: vish@igcar.gov.i [Materials Chemistry Division, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603 102 (India)

    2011-04-15

    The newly prepared ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium benzoate, ([bmim][BA]), was found to enhance the fluorescence of Eu{sup 3+} and Tb{sup 3+}. The fluorescence enhancement resulted from a sensitization of the lanthanide fluorescence by the benzoate anion of the ionic liquid, [bmim][BA], and a reduction in the non-radiative channels in the non-aqueous environment provided by the ionic liquid. However, the fluorescence enhancement of the lanthanides in the ionic liquid was limited due to the operation of the inner filter effect, which resulted from the strong absorption of the benzoate. The inner filter effect was minimized by observing the Eu{sup 3+} fluorescence using a front face geometry and also by diluting the lanthanide-[bmim][BA]system, using another ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([bmim][Tf{sub 2}N]), as a solvent. In the case of Tb{sup 3+}, the emission from the lanthanide was masked by the strong emission from the ionic liquid in the region 450-580 nm. The long lived Tb{sup 3+} emission was therefore observed using delayed gated detection, where an appropriate delay was used to discriminate against the short lived emission from the ionic liquid. The large fluorescence enhancement due to ligand sensitized fluorescence observed with [bmim][BA]diluted in [bmim][Tf{sub 2}N], leads to nanomolar detection of the lanthanides. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first report of an ionic liquid being employed for ligand sensitized fluorescence enhancement of lanthanides. - Research highlights: {yields}The use of an ionic liquid to enhance the fluorescence of lanthanides, Eu{sup 3+} and Tb{sup 3+} is discussed in this paper. {yields} This study represents the first report of the use of a tailored ionic liquid for the purposes of fluorescence enhancement. {yields} The fluorescence enhancement is achieved both a process of ligand sensitization, as well as reducing the non-radiative decay channels. {yields

  11. Detection of large deletion in human BRCA1 gene in human breast carcinoma MCF-7 cells by using DNA-Silver Nanoclusters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borghei, Yasaman-Sadat; Hosseini, Morteza; Ganjali, Mohammad Reza

    2018-01-01

    Here we describe a label-free detection strategy for large deletion mutation in breast cancer (BC) related gene BRCA1 based on a DNA-silver nanocluster (NC) fluorescence upon recognition-induced hybridization. The specific hybridization of DNA templated silver NCs fluorescent probe to target DNAs can act as effective templates for enhancement of AgNCs fluorescence, which can be used to distinguish the deletion of BRCA1 due to different fluorescence intensities. Under the optimal conditions, the fluorescence intensity of the DNA-AgNCs at emission peaks around 440 nm (upon excitation at 350 nm) increased with the increasing deletion type within a dynamic range from 1.0 × 10-10 to 2.4 × 10-6 M with a detection limit (LOD) of 6.4 × 10-11 M. In this sensing system, the normal type shows no significant fluorescence; on the other hand, the deletion type emits higher fluorescence than normal type. Using this nanobiosensor, we successfully determined mutation using the non-amplified genomic DNAs that were isolated from the BC cell line.

  12. Enhanced pervaporative desulfurization by polydimethylsiloxane membranes embedded with silver/silica core-shell microspheres

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cao Ruijian; Zhang Xiongfei; Wu Hong; Wang Jingtao; Liu Xiaofei; Jiang Zhongyi

    2011-01-01

    Pervaporative desulfurization based on membrane technology provides a promising alternative for removal of sulfur substances (as represented by thiophene) in fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) gasoline. The present study focused on the performance enhancement of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane by incorporation of core-shell structured silver/silica microspheres. A silane coupling agent, N-[3-(trimethoxysily)propyl]-ethylenediamine (TSD), was used to chelate the Ag + via its amino groups and attach the silver seeds onto the silica surface via condensation of its methoxyl groups. The resultant microspheres were characterized by Zeta-positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (ZetaPALS), inductively coupled plasmaoptical emission spectrophotometer (ICP), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The Ag + /SiO 2 -PDMS composite membranes were prepared by blending PDMS with the as-synthesized silver/silica microspheres. PALS analysis was used to correlate the apparent fractional free volume with permeation flux. The sorption selectivity towards thiophene was enhanced after incorporation of silver/silica microspheres due to the π-complexation between the silver on the microsphere surface and the thiophene molecules. The pervaporative desulfurization performance of the composite membrane was investigated using thiophene/n-octane mixture as a model gasoline. The composite membrane exhibited an optimum desulfurization performance with a permeation flux of 7.76 kg/(m 2 h) and an enrichment factor of 4.3 at the doping content of 5%.

  13. Optical Materials with a Genome: Nanophotonics with DNA-Stabilized Silver Clusters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Copp, Stacy M.

    Fluorescent silver clusters with unique rod-like geometries are stabilized by DNA. The sizes and colors of these clusters, or AgN-DNA, are selected by DNA base sequence, which can tune peak emission from blue-green into the near-infrared. Combined with DNA nanostructures, AgN-DNA promise exciting applications in nanophotonics and sensing. Until recently, however, a lack of understanding of the mechanisms controlling AgN-DNA fluorescence has challenged such applications. This dissertation discusses progress toward understanding the role of DNA as a "genome" for silver clusters and toward using DNA to achieve atomic-scale precision of silver cluster size and nanometer-scale precision of silver cluster position on a DNA breadboard. We also investigate sensitivity of AgN-DNA to local solvent environment, with an eye toward applications in chemical and biochemical sensing. Using robotic techniques to generate large data sets, we show that fluorescent silver clusters are templated by certain DNA base motifs that select "magic-sized" cluster cores of enhanced stabilities. The linear arrangement of bases on the phosphate backbone imposes a unique rod-like geometry on the clusters. Harnessing machine learning and bioinformatics techniques, we also demonstrate that sequences of DNA templates can be selected to stabilize silver clusters with desired optical properties, including high fluorescence intensity and specific fluorescence wavelengths, with much higher rates of success as compared to current strategies. The discovered base motifs can be also used to design modular DNA host strands that enable individual silver clusters with atomically precise sizes to bind at specific programmed locations on a DNA nanostructure. We show that DNA-mediated nanoscale arrangement enables near-field coupling of distinct clusters, demonstrated by dual-color cluster assemblies exhibiting resonant energy transfer. These results demonstrate a new degree of control over the optical properties

  14. A ratiometric nanoprobe based on silver nanoclusters and carbon dots for the fluorescent detection of biothiols

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Shuming; Lin, Bixia; Yu, Ying; Cao, Yujuan; Guo, Manli; Shui, Lingling

    2018-04-01

    Ratiometric fluorescent probes could eliminate the influence from experimental factors and improve the detection accuracy. In this article, a ratiometric nanoprobe was constructed based on silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) with nitrogen-doped carbon dots (NCDs) and used for the detection of biothiols. The fluorescence peak of AgNCs was observed at 650 nm with excitation wavelength at 370 nm. In order to construct the ratiometric fluorescent probe, NCDs with the excitation and emission wavelengths at 370 nm and 450 nm were selected. After adding AgNCs, the fluorescence of NCDs was quenched. The mechanism of the fluorescence quenching was studied by fluorescence, UV-Vis absorption and the fluorescence lifetime spectra. The results indicated that the quenching could be ascribed to the inner filter effect (IFE). With the addition of biothiols, the fluorescence of AgNCs at 650 nm decreased due to the breakdown of AgNCs, and the fluorescence of NCDs at 450 nm recovered accordingly. Thus, the relationship between the ratio of the fluorescence intensities (I450/I650) and biothiol concentration was used to establish the determination method for biothiols. Cysteine (Cys) was taken as the model of biothiols, and the working curve for Cys was I450/I650 = 0.60CCys - 1.86 (CCys: μmol/L) with the detection limit of 0.14 μmol/L (S/N = 3). Then, the method was used for the detection of Cys in human urine and serum samples with satisfactory accuracy and recovery ratios. Furthermore, the probe could be applied for the visual semi-quantitative determination of Cys by naked eyes.

  15. Optimal Fluorescence Waveband Determination for Detecting Defective Cherry Tomatoes Using a Fluorescence Excitation-Emission Matrix

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    In-Suck Baek

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available A multi-spectral fluorescence imaging technique was used to detect defective cherry tomatoes. The fluorescence excitation and emission matrix was used to measure for defects, sound surface and stem areas to determine the optimal fluorescence excitation and emission wavelengths for discrimination. Two-way ANOVA revealed the optimal excitation wavelength for detecting defect areas was 410 nm. Principal component analysis (PCA was applied to the fluorescence emission spectra of all regions at 410 nm excitation to determine the emission wavelengths for defect detection. The major emission wavelengths were 688 nm and 506 nm for the detection. Fluorescence images combined with the determined emission wavebands demonstrated the feasibility of detecting defective cherry tomatoes with >98% accuracy. Multi-spectral fluorescence imaging has potential utility in non-destructive quality sorting of cherry tomatoes.

  16. Fluorescence Enhancement on Large Area Self-Assembled Plasmonic-3D Photonic Crystals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Guojian; Wang, Dongzhu; Hong, Wei; Sun, Lu; Zhu, Yongxiang; Chen, Xudong

    2017-03-01

    Discontinuous plasmonic-3D photonic crystal hybrid structures are fabricated in order to evaluate the coupling effect of surface plasmon resonance and the photonic stop band. The nanostructures are prepared by silver sputtering deposition on top of hydrophobic 3D photonic crystals. The localized surface plasmon resonance of the nanostructure has a symbiotic relationship with the 3D photonic stop band, leading to highly tunable characteristics. Fluorescence enhancements of conjugated polymer and quantum dot based on these hybrid structures are studied. The maximum fluorescence enhancement for the conjugated polymer of poly(5-methoxy-2-(3-sulfopropoxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene) potassium salt by a factor of 87 is achieved as compared with that on a glass substrate due to the enhanced near-field from the discontinuous plasmonic structures, strong scattering effects from rough metal surface with photonic stop band, and accelerated decay rates from metal-coupled excited state of the fluorophore. It is demonstrated that the enhancement induced by the hybrid structures has a larger effective distance (optimum thickness ≈130 nm) than conventional plasmonic systems. It is expected that this approach has tremendous potential in the field of sensors, fluorescence-imaging, and optoelectronic applications. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  17. Detection of DNA hybridization based on SnO2 nanomaterial enhanced fluorescence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gu Cuiping; Huang Jiarui; Ni Ning; Li Minqiang; Liu Jinhuai

    2008-01-01

    In this paper, enhanced fluorescence emissions were firstly investigated based on SnO 2 nanomaterial, and its application in the detection of DNA hybridization was also demonstrated. The microarray of SnO 2 nanomaterial was fabricated by the vapour phase transport method catalyzed by patterned Au nanoparticles on a silicon substrate. A probe DNA was immobilized on the substrate with patterned SnO 2 nanomaterial, respectively, by covalent and non-covalent linking schemes. When a fluorophore labelled target DNA was hybridized with a probe DNA on the substrate, fluorescence emissions were only observed on the surface of SnO 2 nanomaterial, which indicated the property of enhancing fluorescence signals from the SnO 2 nanomaterial. By comparing the different fluorescence images from covalent and non-covalent linking schemes, the covalent method was confirmed to be more effective for immobilizing a probe DNA. With the combined use of SnO 2 nanomaterial and the covalent linking scheme, the target DNA could be detected at a very low concentration of 10 fM. And the stability of SnO 2 nanomaterial under the experimental conditions was also compared with silicon nanowires. The findings strongly suggested that SnO 2 nanomaterial could be extensively applied in detections of biological samples with enhancing fluorescence property and high stability

  18. A molecular beacon based on DNA-templated silver nanoclusters for the highly sensitive and selective multiplexed detection of virulence genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Dan; Wei, Chunying

    2018-05-01

    In this work, we develop a fluorescent molecular beacon based on the DNA-templated silver nanoclusters (DNA-Ag NCs). The skillfully designed molecular beacon can be conveniently used for detection of diverse virulence genes as long as the corresponding recognition sequences are embedded. Importantly, the constructed detection system allows simultaneous detection of multiple nucleic acids, which is attributed to non-overlapping emission spectra of the as-synthesized silver nanoclusters. Based on the target-induced fluorescence enhancement, three infectious disease-related genes HIV, H1N1, and H5N1 are detected, and the corresponding detection limits are 3.53, 0.12 and 3.95nM, respectively. This design allows specific, versatile and simultaneous detection of diverse targets with easy operation and low cost. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Fluorescent metal nanoshell and CK19 detection on single cell image

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Jian; Fu, Yi; Li, Ge; Lakowicz, Joseph R.; Zhao, Richard Y.

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → Novel metal nanoshell as fluorescence imaging agent. → Fluorescent mAb-metal complex with enhanced intensity and shortened lifetime. → Immuno-interactions of mAb-metal complexes with CK19 molecules on CNCAP and HeLa cell surfaces. → Isolation of conjugated mAb-metal complexes from cellular autofluorescence on cell image. -- Abstract: In this article, we report the synthesis strategy and optical properties of a novel type of fluorescence metal nanoshell when it was used as imaging agent for fluorescence cell imaging. The metal nanoshells were made with 40 nm silica cores and 10 nm silver shells. Unlike typical fluorescence metal nanoshells which contain the organic dyes in the cores, novel metal nanoshells were composed of Cy5-labelled monoclonal anti-CK19 antibodies (mAbs) on the external surfaces of shells. Optical measurements to the single nanoparticles showed that in comparison with the metal free labelled mAbs, the mAb-Ag complexes displayed significantly enhanced emission intensity and dramatically shortened lifetime due to near-field interactions of fluorophores with metal. These metal nanoshells were found to be able to immunoreact with target cytokeratin 19 (CK19) molecules on the surfaces of LNCAP and HeLa cells. Fluorescence cell images were recorded on a time-resolved confocal microscope. The emissions from the metal nanoprobes could be clearly isolated from the cellular autofluorescence backgrounds on the cell images as either individuals or small clusters due to their stronger emission intensities and shorter lifetimes. These emission signals could also be precisely counted on single cell images. The count number may provide an approach for quantifying the target molecules in the cells.

  20. Concentration Dependence of Gold Nanoparticles for Fluorescence Enhancement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Solomon, Joel; Wittmershaus, Bruce

    Noble metal nanoparticles possess a unique property known as surface plasmon resonance in which the conduction electrons oscillate due to incoming light, dramatically increasing their absorption and scattering of light. The oscillating electrons create a varying electric field that can affect nearby molecules. The fluorescence and photostability of fluorophores can be enhanced significantly when they are near plasmonic nanoparticles. This effect is called metal enhanced fluorescence (MEF). MEF from two fluorescence organic dyes, Lucifer Yellow CH and Riboflavin, was measured with different concentrations of 50-nm colloidal gold nanoparticles (Au-NP). The concentration range of Au-NP was varied from 2.5 to 250 pM. To maximize the interaction, the dyes were chosen so their emission spectra had considerable overlap with the absorption spectra of the Au-NP, which is common in MEF studies. If the dye molecules are too close to the surface of Au-NP, fluorescence quenching can occur instead of MEF. To try to observe this difference, silica-coated Au-NP were compared to citrate-based Au-NP; however, fluorescence quenching was observed with both Au-NP. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number NSF-ECCS-1306157.

  1. Dual-emissive quantum dots for multispectral intraoperative fluorescence imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chin, Patrick T K; Buckle, Tessa; Aguirre de Miguel, Arantxa; Meskers, Stefan C J; Janssen, René A J; van Leeuwen, Fijs W B

    2010-09-01

    Fluorescence molecular imaging is rapidly increasing its popularity in image guided surgery applications. To help develop its full surgical potential it remains a challenge to generate dual-emissive imaging agents that allow for combined visible assessment and sensitive camera based imaging. To this end, we now describe multispectral InP/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) that exhibit a bright visible green/yellow exciton emission combined with a long-lived far red defect emission. The intensity of the latter emission was enhanced by X-ray irradiation and allows for: 1) inverted QD density dependent defect emission intensity, showing improved efficacies at lower QD densities, and 2) detection without direct illumination and interference from autofluorescence. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Enhancing early bladder cancer detection with fluorescence-guided endoscopic optical coherence tomography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pan, Y. T.; Xie, T. Q.; Du, C. W.; Bastacky, S.; Meyers, S.; Zeidel, M. L.

    2003-12-01

    We report an experimental study of the possibility of enhancing early bladder cancer diagnosis with fluorescence-image-guided endoscopic optical coherence tomography (OCT). After the intravesical instillation of a 10% solution of 5-aminolevulinic acid, simultaneous fluorescence imaging (excitation of 380-420 nm, emission of 620-700 nm) and OCT are performed on rat bladders to identify the photochemical and morphological changes associated with uroepithelial tumorigenesis. The preliminary results of our ex vivo study reveal that both fluorescence and OCT can identify early uroepithelial cancers, and OCT can detect precancerous lesions (e.g., hyperplasia) that fluorescence may miss. This suggests that a cystoscope combining 5-aminolevulinic acid fluorescence and OCT imaging has the potential to enhance the efficiency and sensitivity of early bladder cancer diagnosis.

  3. Multi-functional nano silver: A novel disruptive and theranostic agent for pathogenic organisms in real-time

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gopinath, Ponnusamy Manogaran; Ranjani, Anandan; Dhanasekaran, Dharumadurai; Thajuddin, Nooruddin; Archunan, Govindaraju; Akbarsha, Mohammad Abdulkader; Gulyás, Balázs; Padmanabhan, Parasuraman

    2016-01-01

    The present study was aimed at evaluating the fluorescence property, sporicidal potency against Bacillus and Clostridium endospores, and surface disinfecting ability of biogenic nano silver. The nano silver was synthesized using an actinobacterial cell-filtrate. The fluorescence property as well as imaging facilitator potency of this nano silver was verified adopting spectrofluorometer along with fluorescent and confocal laser scanning microscope wherein strong emission and bright green fluorescence, respectively, on the entire spore surface was observed. Subsequently, the endospores of B. subtilis, B. cereus, B. amyloliquefaciens, C. perfringens and C. difficile were treated with physical sporicides, chemical sporicides and nano silver, in which the nano silver brought about pronounced inhibition even at a very low concentration. Finally, the environmental surface-sanitizing potency of nano silver was investigated adopting cage co-contamination assay, wherein vital organs of mice exposed to the nano silver-treated cage did not show any signs of pathological lesions, thus signifying the ability of nano silver to completely disinfect the spore or reduce the count required for infection. Taken these observations together, we have shown the multi-functional biological properties of the nano silver, synthesized using an actinobacterial cell-filtrate, which could be of application in advanced diagnostics, biomedical engineering and therapeutics in the near future. PMID:27666290

  4. Three-dimensional super-resolution imaging for fluorescence emission difference microscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    You, Shangting; Kuang, Cuifang, E-mail: cfkuang@zju.edu.cn; Li, Shuai; Liu, Xu; Ding, Zhihua [State key laboratory of modern optical instrumentations, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027 (China)

    2015-08-15

    We propose a method theoretically to break the diffraction limit and to improve the resolution in all three dimensions for fluorescence emission difference microscopy. We produce two kinds of hollow focal spot by phase modulation. By incoherent superposition, these two kinds of focal spot yield a 3D hollow focal spot. The optimal proportion of these two kinds of spot is given in the paper. By employing 3D hollow focal spot, super-resolution image can be yielded by means of fluorescence emission difference microscopy, with resolution enhanced both laterally and axially. According to computation result, size of point spread function of three-dimensional super-resolution imaging is reduced by about 40% in all three spatial directions with respect to confocal imaging.

  5. Thousand-fold enhancement of single-molecule fluorescence near a single gold nanorod

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Yuan, H.; Khatua, S.; Zijlstra, P.; Yorulmaz, M.; Orrit, M.

    2013-01-01

    Single molecules: Large enhancements of single-molecule fluorescence up to 1100 times by using synthesized gold nanorods are reported (see picture). This high enhancement is achieved by selecting a dye with its adsorption and emission close to the surface plasmon resonance of the gold nanorods

  6. Selective recognition of Pr3+ based on fluorescence enhancement sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ganjali, M.R.; Hosseini, M.; Ghafarloo, A.; Khoobi, M.; Faridbod, F.; Shafiee, A.; Norouzi, P.

    2013-01-01

    (E)-2-(1-(4-hydroxy-2-oxo-2H-chromen-3-yl)ethylidene) hydrazinecarbothioamide (L) has been used to detect trace amounts of praseodymium ion in acetonitrile–water solution (MeCN/H 2 O) by fluorescence spectroscopy. The fluorescent probe undergoes fluorescent emission intensity enhancement upon binding to Pr 3+ ions in MeCN/H 2 O (9/1:v/v) solution. The fluorescence enhancement of L is attributed to a 1:1 complex formation between L and Pr 3+ , which has been utilized as the basis for selective detection of Pr 3+ . The sensor can be applied to the quantification of praseodymium ion with a linear range of 1.6 × 10 −7 to 1.0 × 10 −5 M. The limit of detection was 8.3 × 10 −8 M. The sensor exhibits high selectivity toward praseodymium ions in comparison with common metal ions. The proposed fluorescent sensor was successfully used for determination of Pr 3+ in water samples. - Highlights: • A new fluorescent sensor is introduced as a selective probe for Pr 3+ detection. • Fluorescent intensity of the chemical probe enhances upon binding to Pr 3+ ion. • The sensor can be used for Pr 3+ determination in the range of 1.6 × 10 −7 –1.0 × 10 −5 M

  7. Enhanced single-photon emission from a diamond–silver aperture

    KAUST Repository

    Choy, Jennifer T.

    2011-10-09

    Solid-state quantum emitters, such as the nitrogen-vacancy centre in diamond, are robust systems for practical realizations of various quantum information processing protocols2-5 and nanoscale magnetometry schemes6,7 at room temperature. Such applications benefit from the high emission efficiency and flux of single photons, which can be achieved by engineering the electromagnetic environment of the emitter. One attractive approach is based on plasmonic resonators8-13, in which sub-wavelength confinement of optical fields can strongly modify the spontaneous emission of a suitably embedded dipole despite having only modest quality factors. Meanwhile, the scalability of solid-state quantum systems critically depends on the ability to control such emitterg-cavity interaction in a number of devices arranged in parallel. Here, we demonstrate a method to enhance the radiative emission rate of single nitrogen-vacancy centres in ordered arrays of plasmonic apertures that promises greater scalability over the previously demonstrated bottom-up approaches for the realization of on-chip quantum networks. © 2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

  8. Enhanced single-photon emission from a diamond–silver aperture

    KAUST Repository

    Choy, Jennifer T.; Hausmann, Birgit J. M.; Babinec, Thomas M.; Bulu, Irfan; Khan, Mughees; Maletinsky, Patrick; Yacoby, Amir; Lončar, Marko

    2011-01-01

    Solid-state quantum emitters, such as the nitrogen-vacancy centre in diamond, are robust systems for practical realizations of various quantum information processing protocols2-5 and nanoscale magnetometry schemes6,7 at room temperature. Such applications benefit from the high emission efficiency and flux of single photons, which can be achieved by engineering the electromagnetic environment of the emitter. One attractive approach is based on plasmonic resonators8-13, in which sub-wavelength confinement of optical fields can strongly modify the spontaneous emission of a suitably embedded dipole despite having only modest quality factors. Meanwhile, the scalability of solid-state quantum systems critically depends on the ability to control such emitterg-cavity interaction in a number of devices arranged in parallel. Here, we demonstrate a method to enhance the radiative emission rate of single nitrogen-vacancy centres in ordered arrays of plasmonic apertures that promises greater scalability over the previously demonstrated bottom-up approaches for the realization of on-chip quantum networks. © 2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

  9. Photography: enhancing sensitivity by silver-halide crystal doping

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Belloni, Jacqueline

    2003-01-01

    The physical chemistry of the silver photography processes, exposure, development and fixing, is briefly summarized. The mechanism of the autocatalytic development by the developer of the clusters produced in silver bromide crystals during the exposure which is controlled by the critical nuclearity of these clusters was understood from pulse radiolysis studies. The effective quantum yield PHI eff of photoinduced silver cluster formation in silver halide microcrystals is usually much lower than the photoionization theoretical limit PHI theor =1 electron-hole pair per photon absorbed, owing to a subsequent very fast intra-crystal recombination of a part of the electron-hole pairs. In order to inhibit this recombination and favor the silver reduction by photo-electrons, the AgX crystals were doped with the formate HCO 2 - as a specific hole scavenger. First, the dopant scavenges the photoinduced hole, thus enhancing the electron escape from the pair recombination. Second, the CO 2 ·- radical so formed transfers an electron to another silver cation, so that the PHI eff limit may be of 2Ag 0 per photon. This Photoinduced Bielectronic Transfer mechanism is strictly proportional to the light quanta absorbed and induces an exceptional efficiency for enhancing the radio- or photographic sensitivity insofar as it totally suppresses the electron-hole recombination

  10. Fluorescence enhancement and quenching of Eu(TTFA)3 by Ag nanoparticles at different excitations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Qingru; Shi, Qiang; Li, Shuhong; Wang, Wenjun; Zheng, Shiling

    2015-01-01

    The luminescence properties of Eu(TTFA) 3 complex in presence of silver nanoparticles were investigated at three excitation wavelengths of 350 nm, 383 nm and 463 nm, respectively. Luminescence quenching and enhancement were both observed at three different excitation and emission wavelengths. Luminescence at 612 nm, 578 nm, 590 nm and 650 nm were enhanced at excitation wavelength of 350 nm, and quenched at excitation wavelength of 383 nm. The enhancement factor reached to 1.6 and the quench factor was about 0.65. For 463 nm excitation, the luminescence at 612 nm was quenched, and the quench factor reached to 0.85. Luminescence at other three emission wavelengths (578 nm, 590 nm, and 650 nm) was enhanced, with the greatest enhancement factor of ∼5. - Highlights: • The luminescence enhancement and quenching were both obtained by using the Ag nanoparticles. • The luminescence enhancement and quenching highly depends on the excitation and emission wavelengths. • The enhancement factor of luminescence also has a great relationship with the intrinsic quantum yield

  11. Silver-enhanced block copolymer membranes with biocidal activity

    KAUST Repository

    Madhavan, Poornima

    2014-11-12

    Silver nanoparticles were deposited on the surface and pore walls of block copolymer membranes with highly ordered pore structure. Pyridine blocks constitute the pore surfaces, complexing silver ions and promoting a homogeneous distribution. Nanoparticles were then formed by reduction with sodium borohydride. The morphology varied with the preparation conditions (pH and silver ion concentration), as confirmed by field emission scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Silver has a strong biocide activity, which for membranes can bring the advantage of minimizing the growth of bacteria and formation of biofilm. The membranes with nanoparticles prepared under different pH values and ion concentrations were incubated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and compared with the control. The strongest biocidal activity was achieved with membranes containing membranes prepared under pH 9. Under these conditions, the best distribution with small particle size was observed by microscopy.

  12. Silver-enhanced block copolymer membranes with biocidal activity

    KAUST Repository

    Madhavan, Poornima; Hong, Pei-Ying; Sougrat, Rachid; Nunes, Suzana Pereira

    2014-01-01

    Silver nanoparticles were deposited on the surface and pore walls of block copolymer membranes with highly ordered pore structure. Pyridine blocks constitute the pore surfaces, complexing silver ions and promoting a homogeneous distribution. Nanoparticles were then formed by reduction with sodium borohydride. The morphology varied with the preparation conditions (pH and silver ion concentration), as confirmed by field emission scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Silver has a strong biocide activity, which for membranes can bring the advantage of minimizing the growth of bacteria and formation of biofilm. The membranes with nanoparticles prepared under different pH values and ion concentrations were incubated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and compared with the control. The strongest biocidal activity was achieved with membranes containing membranes prepared under pH 9. Under these conditions, the best distribution with small particle size was observed by microscopy.

  13. Silver enhances antibiotic activity against gram-negative bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morones-Ramirez, J Ruben; Winkler, Jonathan A; Spina, Catherine S; Collins, James J

    2013-06-19

    A declining pipeline of clinically useful antibiotics has made it imperative to develop more effective antimicrobial therapies, particularly against difficult-to-treat Gram-negative pathogens. Silver has been used as an antimicrobial since antiquity, yet its mechanism of action remains unclear. We show that silver disrupts multiple bacterial cellular processes, including disulfide bond formation, metabolism, and iron homeostasis. These changes lead to increased production of reactive oxygen species and increased membrane permeability of Gram-negative bacteria that can potentiate the activity of a broad range of antibiotics against Gram-negative bacteria in different metabolic states, as well as restore antibiotic susceptibility to a resistant bacterial strain. We show both in vitro and in a mouse model of urinary tract infection that the ability of silver to induce oxidative stress can be harnessed to potentiate antibiotic activity. Additionally, we demonstrate in vitro and in two different mouse models of peritonitis that silver sensitizes Gram-negative bacteria to the Gram-positive-specific antibiotic vancomycin, thereby expanding the antibacterial spectrum of this drug. Finally, we used silver and antibiotic combinations in vitro to eradicate bacterial persister cells, and show both in vitro and in a mouse biofilm infection model that silver can enhance antibacterial action against bacteria that produce biofilms. This work shows that silver can be used to enhance the action of existing antibiotics against Gram-negative bacteria, thus strengthening the antibiotic arsenal for fighting bacterial infections.

  14. Reduced Fluorescent Protein Switching Fatigue by Binding-Induced Emissive State Stabilization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thijs Roebroek

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Reversibly switchable fluorescent proteins (RSFPs enable advanced fluorescence imaging, though the performance of this imaging crucially depends on the properties of the labels. We report on the use of an existing small binding peptide, named Enhancer, to modulate the spectroscopic properties of the recently developed rsGreen series of RSFPs. Fusion constructs of Enhancer with rsGreen1 and rsGreenF revealed an increased molecular brightness and pH stability, although expression in living E. coli or HeLa cells resulted in a decrease of the overall emission. Surprisingly, Enhancer binding also increased off-switching speed and resistance to switching fatigue. Further investigation suggested that the RSFPs can interconvert between fast- and slow-switching emissive states, with the overall protein population gradually converting to the slow-switching state through irradiation. The Enhancer modulates the spectroscopic properties of both states, but also preferentially stabilizes the fast-switching state, supporting the increased fatigue resistance. This work demonstrates how the photo-physical properties of RSFPs can be influenced by their binding to other small proteins, which opens up new horizons for applications that may require such modulation. Furthermore, we provide new insights into the photoswitching kinetics that should be of general consideration when developing new RSFPs with improved or different photochromic properties.

  15. Enhancement of uranyl fluorescence using trimesic acid: Ligand sensitization and co-fluorescence

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maji, S. [Chemistry Group, Materials Chemistry Division, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603102 (India); Viswanathan, K.S., E-mail: vish@igcar.gov.in [Chemistry Group, Materials Chemistry Division, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603102 (India)

    2011-09-15

    Trimesic acid (TMA) was shown to sensitize and enhance uranyl fluorescence in aqueous medium, with the enhancement being a maximum at pH 5.0. Fluorescence spectra and lifetime data together suggest that TMA complexes with uranyl (UO{sub 2}{sup 2+}). The fluorescence of UO{sub 2}{sup 2+} in its acid complex is further enhanced by more than two orders of magnitude following the addition of Y{sup 3+}; a process referred to as co-fluorescence, leading to the possibility of detecting uranium at sub ng/mL level. The present study demonstrates, for the first time, fluorescence enhancement of the uranyl species due to co-fluorescence. - Highlights: > Trimesic acid was shown to sensitize and enhance the fluorescence of uranium in aqueous medium. > This ligand also exhibited co-fluorescence of uranium with Y{sup 3+}. > To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of co-fluorescence in uranium. > The enhancement of uranium fluorescence, resulted in detection limits in the ng/mL regime.

  16. Anticancer and enhanced antimicrobial activity of biosynthesizd silver nanoparticles against clinical pathogens

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajeshkumar, Shanmugam; Malarkodi, Chelladurai; Vanaja, Mahendran; Annadurai, Gurusamy

    2016-07-01

    The present investigation shows the biosynthesis of eco-friendly silver nanoparticles using culture supernatant of Enterococcus sp. and study the effect of enhanced antimicrobial activity, anticancer activity against pathogenic bacteria, fungi and cancer cell lines. Silver nanoparticles was synthesized by adding 1 mM silver nitrate into the 100 ml of 24 h freshly prepared culture supernatant of Enterococcus sp. and were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), Selected Area Diffraction X-Ray (SAED), Energy Dispersive X Ray (EDX) and Fourier Transform Infra red Spectroscopy (FT-IR). The synthesized silver nanoparticles were impregnated with commercial antibiotics for evaluation of enhanced antimicrobial activity. Further these synthesized silver nanoparticles were assessed for its anticancer activity against cancer cell lines. In this study crystalline structured nanoparticles with spherical in the size ranges from 10 to 80 nm and it shows excellent enhanced antimicrobial activity than the commercial antibiotics. The in vitro assay of silver nanoparticles on anticancer have great potential to inhibit the cell viability. Amide linkages and carboxylate groups of proteins from Enterococcus sp. may bind with silver ions and convert into nanoparticles. The activities of commercial antibiotics were enhanced by coating silver nanoparticles shows significant improved antimicrobial activity. Silver nanoparticles have the great potential to inhibit the cell viability of liver cancer cells lines (HepG2) and lung cancer cell lines (A549).

  17. Metal plasmon-coupled fluorescence imaging and label free coenzyme detection in cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Jian; Fu, Yi; Li, Ge; Zhao, Richard Y.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Metal nanoparticle for fluorescence cell imaging. ► Non-invasive emission detection of coenzyme in cell on time-resolved confocal microscope. ► Near-field interaction of flavin adenine dinucleotide with silver substrate. ► Isolation of emissions by coenzymes from cellular autofluorescence on fluorescence cell imaging. -- Abstract: Flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) is a key metabolite in cellular energy conversion. Flavin can also bind with some enzymes in the metabolic pathway and the binding sites may be changed due to the disease progression. Thus, there is interest on studying its expression level, distribution, and redox state within the cells. FAD is naturally fluorescent, but it has a modest extinction coefficient and quantum yield. Hence the intrinsic emission from FAD is generally too weak to be isolated distinctly from the cellular backgrounds in fluorescence cell imaging. In this article, the metal nanostructures on the glass coverslips were used as substrates to measure FAD in cells. Particulate silver films were fabricated with an optical resonance near the absorption and the emission wavelengths of FAD which can lead to efficient coupling interactions. As a result, the emission intensity and quantum yield by FAD were greatly increased and the lifetime was dramatically shortened resulting in less interference from the longer lived cellular background. This feature may overcome the technical limits that hinder the direct observation of intrinsically fluorescent coenzymes in the cells by fluorescence microscopy. Fluorescence cell imaging on the metallic particle substrates may provide a non-invasive strategy for collecting the information of coenzymes in cells.

  18. Enhanced emission of nile red fluorescent nanoparticles embedded in hybrid sol-gel glasses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferrer, Maria L; del Monte, Francisco

    2005-01-13

    Highly fluorescent Nile Red (NR) nanoparticles embedded in a hybrid sol-gel glass are reported. The crystallite growth within the confined system created by the porous hybrid matrix results in NR nanoparticles of averaged dimensions below 36 nm. The preparation process allows for the control of both the conformation adopted by single NR molecules prior to aggregation (e.g., near planar) and the configuration of the aggregates (e.g., oblique with phi architecture which ultimately forms the nanoparticles. The full preservation of the fluorescent configuration of the aggregates in the nanoparticles is confirmed through the application of the exciton theory, and it is responsible for the significant increase of the fluorescence emission intensity (e.g., up to 525- and 70-fold as compared to that obtained for single NR molecules embedded in pure and hybrid silica glasses, respectively).

  19. Diameter Effect of Silver Nanorod Arrays to Surface-enhanced Raman Scattering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gu, Geun Hoi; Kim, Min Young; Yoon, Hyeok Jin; Suh, Jung Sang

    2014-01-01

    The effect the diameter of silver nanorod arrays whose distance between the nanorods was uniform at 65 nm have on Surface-enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) has been studied by varying the diameter from 28 to 51 nm. Nanorod length was fixed at approximately 62 nm, which is the optimum length for SERS by excitation with a 632.8 nm laser line. The transverse and longitudinal modes of the surface plasmon of these silver nanorods were near 400 and 630 nm, respectively. The extinction of the longitudinal mode increased with increasing nanorod diameter, while the transverse mode did not change significantly. High-quality SERS spectra of p-aminothiophenol and benzenethiol adsorbed on the tips of the silver nanorods were observed by excitation with a 632.8 nm laser line. The SERS enhancement increased with increasing nanorod diameter. We concluded that the SERS enhancement increases when the diameter of silver nanorods is increased mainly by increasing the excitation efficiency of the longitudinal mode. The enhancement factor for the silver nanorods with a 51 nm diameter was approximately 2 Χ 10 7

  20. Twenty-fold plasmon-induced enhancement of radiative emission rate in silicon nanocrystals embedded in silicon dioxide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gardelis, S; Gianneta, V.; Nassiopoulou, A.G

    2016-01-01

    We report on a 20-fold enhancement of the integrated photoluminescence (PL) emission of silicon nanocrystals, embedded in a matrix of silicon dioxide, induced by excited surface plasmons from silver nanoparticles, which are located in the vicinity of the silicon nanocrystals and separated from them by a silicon dioxide layer of a few nanometers. The electric field enhancement provided by the excited surface plasmons increases the absorption cross section and the emission rate of the nearby silicon nanocrystals, resulting in the observed enhancement of the photoluminescence, mainly attributed to a 20-fold enhancement in the emission rate of the silicon nanocrystals. The observed remarkable improvement of the PL emission makes silicon nanocrystals very useful material for photonic, sensor and solar cell applications.

  1. A dual-emission and large Stokes shift fluorescence probe for real-time discrimination of ROS/RNS and imaging in live cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Ting; Cui, Lei; Shen, Jiaoning; Wang, Rui; Zhu, Weiping; Xu, Yufang; Qian, Xuhong

    2013-03-04

    A novel dual-emission fluorescence probe has been developed for specific and sensitive detection of hypochlorite (ClO(-)). Upon addition of ClO(-), significant changes in fluorescence emission intensity at two discrete wavelengths were observed. Meanwhile OONO(-) led to only a single-channel fluorescence enhancement. This feature makes it a clear advantage in distinguishing ClO(-), RNS from other ROS.

  2. Mercury Production and Use in Colonial Andean Silver Production: Emissions and Health Implications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hagan, Nicole A.

    2012-01-01

    Background: Colonial cinnabar mining and refining began in Huancavelica, Peru, in 1564. With a local source of mercury, the amalgamation process was adopted to refine silver in Potosí, Bolivia, in the early 1570s. As a result, large quantities of mercury were released into the environment. Objectives: We used archival, primary, and secondary sources to develop the first estimate of mercury emissions from cinnabar refining in Huancavelica and to revise previous estimates of emissions from silver refining in Potosí during the colonial period (1564–1810). Discussion: Although other estimates of historical mercury emissions have recognized Potosí as a significant source, Huancavelica has been overlooked. In addition, previous estimates of mercury emissions from silver refining under-estimated emissions because of unrecorded (contra-band) production and volatilization of mercury during processing and recovery. Archival descriptions document behavioral and health issues during the colonial period that are consistent with known effects of mercury intoxication. Conclusions: According to our calculations, between 1564 and 1810, an estimated 17,000 metric tons of mercury vapor were emitted from cinnabar smelting in Huancavelica, and an estimated 39,000 metric tons were released as vapor during silver refining operations in Potosí. Huancavelica and Potosí combined contributed > 25% of the 196,000 metric tons of mercury vapor emissions in all of Latin America between 1500 and 1800. The historical record is laden with evidence of mercury intoxication consistent with effects recognized today. Our estimates serve as the foundation of investigations of present-day contamination in Huancavelica and Potosí resulting from historical emissions of mercury. PMID:22334094

  3. Manipulation of pH induced sensitivity of a fluorescent probe in presence of silver nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kacmaz, Sibel; Ertekin, Kadriye; Oter, Ozlem; Hizliateş, Cevher Gundogdu; Ergun, Yavuz; Celik, Erdal

    2015-01-01

    In this study, pH induced spectral response of the newly synthesized carbazole derivative (9-butyl-bis-3-(4-(dimethylamino) phenyl) allylidene)-9H-carbazole-3,6-diamine) has been declared. We utilized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) along with ionic liquid as additives for manipulation of the spectral response. Plasticized ethyl cellulose (EC) was used as matrix material. Fibers and porous films were produced by electrospinning technique. The emission intensity at 631 nm has been followed as the analytical signal. Utilization of silver nanoparticles in electrospun polymeric fibers for pH sensing purposes resulted with many advantages such as tuned sensitivity, linear calibration plot for larger pH ranges, increased surface area and enhancement in all sensor dynamics. Additionally, we performed manipulation of the pKa within the same matrix exploiting the silver NPs. Characteristics of the pH induced response for the offered composition was superior with respect to the previously reported ones. When stored at the ambient air of the laboratory there was no significant drift in the signal intensity after 16 months. Our sensitivity and stability tests are still in progress. - Highlights: • A carbozole derivative was used for the first time for sensing of pH along with silver nanoparticles. • The sensor slides fabricated in form of nanofibers. • The Ag containing and Ag-free slides were produced by electrospinning technique. • pH Sensitivity of the dye was compared for both; Ag containing and Ag-free forms. • We performed manipulation of the pKa within the same matrix exploiting the silver NPs.

  4. Manipulation of pH induced sensitivity of a fluorescent probe in presence of silver nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kacmaz, Sibel [Giresun University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Food Engineering, 28200 Giresun (Turkey); Ertekin, Kadriye [University of Dokuz Eylul, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Chemistry, 35160 Izmir (Turkey); University of Dokuz Eylul, Center for Fabrication and Application of Electronic Materials (EMUM), 35160 Izmir (Turkey); Oter, Ozlem; Hizliateş, Cevher Gundogdu; Ergun, Yavuz [University of Dokuz Eylul, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Chemistry, 35160 Izmir (Turkey); Celik, Erdal [University of Dokuz Eylul, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, 35160 Izmir (Turkey); University of Dokuz Eylul, Center for Fabrication and Application of Electronic Materials (EMUM), 35160 Izmir (Turkey)

    2015-12-15

    In this study, pH induced spectral response of the newly synthesized carbazole derivative (9-butyl-bis-3-(4-(dimethylamino) phenyl) allylidene)-9H-carbazole-3,6-diamine) has been declared. We utilized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) along with ionic liquid as additives for manipulation of the spectral response. Plasticized ethyl cellulose (EC) was used as matrix material. Fibers and porous films were produced by electrospinning technique. The emission intensity at 631 nm has been followed as the analytical signal. Utilization of silver nanoparticles in electrospun polymeric fibers for pH sensing purposes resulted with many advantages such as tuned sensitivity, linear calibration plot for larger pH ranges, increased surface area and enhancement in all sensor dynamics. Additionally, we performed manipulation of the pKa within the same matrix exploiting the silver NPs. Characteristics of the pH induced response for the offered composition was superior with respect to the previously reported ones. When stored at the ambient air of the laboratory there was no significant drift in the signal intensity after 16 months. Our sensitivity and stability tests are still in progress. - Highlights: • A carbozole derivative was used for the first time for sensing of pH along with silver nanoparticles. • The sensor slides fabricated in form of nanofibers. • The Ag containing and Ag-free slides were produced by electrospinning technique. • pH Sensitivity of the dye was compared for both; Ag containing and Ag-free forms. • We performed manipulation of the pKa within the same matrix exploiting the silver NPs.

  5. Silver colloidal effects on excited-state structure and intramolecular charge transfer of p-N, N-dimethylaminobenzoic acid in aqueous cyclodextrin solutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Jung Kwon; Kim, Yang Hee; Yoon, Min Joong; Lee, Seung Joon; Kim, Kwan; Jeoung, Sae Chae

    2001-01-01

    The silver colloidal effects on the excited-state structure and intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) of p-N,N-dimethylaminobenzoic acid (DMABA) in aqueous cyclodextrin (CD) solutions have been investigated by UV-VIS absorption, steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence, and transient Raman spectroscopy. As the concentration of silver colloids increases, the ratio of the ICT emission to the normal emission (I a /I b ) of DMABA in the aqueous α-CD solutions are greatly decreased while the I a /I b values in the aqueous β-CD solutions are significantly enhanced. It is also noteworthy that the ICT emission maxima are red-shifted by 15-40 nm upon addition of silver colloids, implying that DMABA encapsulated in α-CD or β-CD cavity is exposed to more polar environment. The transient resonance Raman spectra of DMABA in silver colloidal solutions demonstrate that DMABA in the excited-state is desorbed from silver colloidal surfaces as demonstrated by the disappearance of v s (CO 2 - )(1380 cm -1 ) with appearance of v (C-OH)(1280 cm -1 ) band, respectively. Thus, in the aqueous β-CD solutions the carboxylic acid group of DMABA in the excited-state can be readily hydrogen bonded with the secondary hydroxyl group of β-CD while in aqueous and α-CD solutions the carboxylic acid group of DMABA has the hydrogen-bonding interaction with water. Consequently, in the aqueous β-CD solutions the enhancement of the I a /I b value arises from the intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interaction between DMABA and the secondary hydroxyl group of β-CD as well as the lower polarity of the rim of the β-CD cavity compared to bulk water. This is also supported by the increase of the association constant for DMABA/β-CD complex in the presence of silver colloids

  6. Copper spherical cavity arrays: Fluorescence enhancement in PFO films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Spada, Edna R., E-mail: edspada@gmail.com [Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, Caixa Postal 369, 13560-970, São Carlos, SP (Brazil); Valente, Gustavo T.; Pereira-da-Silva, Marcelo A. [Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, Caixa Postal 369, 13560-970, São Carlos, SP (Brazil); Sartorelli, Maria L. [Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Caixa Postal 476, 88040-900, Florianópolis, SC (Brazil); Guimarães, Francisco E.G.; Faria, Roberto M. [Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, Caixa Postal 369, 13560-970, São Carlos, SP (Brazil)

    2017-01-15

    This manuscript addresses the use of a well-ordered antidot copper nanostructure as a active substrate for surface enhancement fluorescence (SEF). The antidot array was produced by electrodeposition and nanosphere lithography and characterized by microscopy technique, its successful application as SEF-active substrates was verified using polyfluorene (PFO) as a probe layer. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to evaluate the regularity of the metal surface as well PFO coated process and confocal laser fluorescence microscopy (CLSM) to determine the behavior exhibited by the fluorescent layer due to the existence of the nanostructured surface. No accumulation PFO in the cavities was detected and the more intense emission regions coincides with the position of the cavities and is at about one order of magnitude higher.

  7. Plasmon-enhanced luminescence of Sm complex using silver nanoparticles in Polyvinyl Alcohol

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kaur, Gagandeep; Verma, R.K.; Rai, D.K. [Laser and Spectroscopy Laboratory, Department of Physics, Banaras Hindu University, India 221005 (India); Rai, S.B., E-mail: sbrai49@yahoo.co.in [Laser and Spectroscopy Laboratory, Department of Physics, Banaras Hindu University, India 221005 (India)

    2012-07-15

    Silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by laser ablation in water with an aim to enhance the luminescence of rare earth coordinated complex in polymer host. A fixed concentration of the complex containing Samarium (Sm), Salicylic acid (Sal) and 1, 10-phenanthroline (Phen) were combined with different concentrations of silver NPs in PolyVinyl Alcohol at room temperature. Absorption spectrum and XRD patterns of the sample show that the Sm(Sal){sub 3}Phen complex is accompanied by Ag NPs. The luminescence from the complex was recorded in the presence and absence of Ag NPs using two different excitation wavelengths viz. 400 and 355 nm. Of these, 400 nm radiation falls in the surface plasmon resonance of Ag NPs. It was found that the Ag NPs led to a significant enhancement in luminescence of the complex. Surprisingly, a high concentration of Ag NPs tends to quench the luminescence. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Sm complex with Ag nanoparticles in PVA was prepared at room temperature. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer UV-vis absorption and XRD confirms the presence of Sm complex and Ag NPs. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Enhancement in luminescence of complex was observed with Ag NPs. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Coupling between radiative transitions of Sm and SPR of NPs enhances the emission. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The higher concentration of Ag NPs quenches the luminescence of the complex.

  8. New dual emission fluorescent sensor for pH and Pb(II) based on bis(napfthalimide) derivative

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pina-Luis, Georgina; Martínez-Quiroz, Marisela; Ochoa-Terán, Adrián; Santacruz-Ortega, Hisila; Mendez-Valenzuela, Eduardo

    2013-01-01

    This paper describes a novel dual emission bis-1,8-naphthalimide sensor for selective determination of pH and Pb 2+ ions. The influence of the variability in the backbone that links the two fluorophores (naphthalimides) as a function of pH and metal ions was studied by UV–visible and fluorescence spectroscopy. Compounds 1(a–d) with different length alkyl linkers (CH 2 ) n (n=1, 2, 4 and 6) showed no excimer formation in aqueous solution. Fluorescence emission of these derivatives varied in a narrow range of pH (5–8) and was only slightly influenced by the addition of metal ions in CH 3 CN solutions. However, derivative 1e with amino-containing spacer (CH 2 –NH–CH 2 ) showed excimer emission in aqueous solution, a wide response to pH (2.5–9.5) and fluorescence enhancement with selective behavior towards metal ions. The pH sensor based in derivative 1e has a sufficient selectivity for practical pH monitoring in the presence of Li + , Na + , K + , Cs + , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , Ba 2+ , Cu 2+ , Pb 2+ , Ni 2+ , Zn 2+ and Cd 2+ . The coordination chemistry of these complexes was studied by UV–Vis, fluorescence and 1 H NMR. This chemosensor displayed high selectivity fluorescence enhancement toward Pb 2+ ions in the presence of the metals ions mentioned in CH 3 CN solutions. Competitive assays show that a 1-fold of metal cations in each case, compared with Pb 2+ ions, results in less than ±5% fluorescence intensity changes. Linear calibration up to 1×10 −5 M for Pb(II) ions (R=0.9968) was obtained and detection limit resulted of 5.0×10 −8 M. - Highlights: ► A novel dual emission bis-1,8-naphthalimide sensor for pH and Pb 2+ ions is synthetized. ► The excimer formation depends on the spacer that links the two naphthalimide groups. ► Bis(naphthalimide) with amino-containing spacer showed a wide selective response to pH. ► This chemosensor displayed a selective fluorescence enhancement effect towards Pb 2+ ions. ► Mechanism for the fluorescence OFF

  9. Comparison of Surface-enhanced Raman Scattering Spectra of Two Kinds of Silver Nanoplate Films

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    TAO Jin-long; TANG Bin; XU Shu-ping; PAN Ling-yun; XU Wei-qing

    2012-01-01

    Surface-enhanced Raman scattering(SERS) spectra of different silver nanoplate self-assembled films at different excitation wavelengths were fairly compared.Shape conversion from silver nanoprisms to nanodisks on slides was in situ carried out.The SERS spectra of 4-mercaptopyridine(4-MPY) on these anisotropic silver nanoparticle self-assembled films present that strong enhancement appeared when the excitation line and the surface plasmon resonance(SPR) band of silver substrate overlapped.In this model,the influence of the crystal planes of silver nanoplates on SERS enhancement could be ignored because the basal planes were nearly unchanged in two kinds of silver nanoplate self-assembled films.

  10. Highly selective and sensitive fluorescent chemosensor for femtomolar detection of silver ion in aqueous medium

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abraham Daniel Arulraj

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The chemical sensing for the trace level detection of silver ion in aqueous solution still remains a challenge using simple, rapid, and inexpensive method. We report that thionine can be used as a fluorescent probe for the detection of Ag+ ion. The successive addition of Ag+ ion to the solution containing thionine quenches (turns-off the fluorescence intensity of thionine. Association and quenching constants have been estimated by the Benesi–Hildebrand method and Stern–Volmer plot, respectively. From the plot, the nature of the fluorescence quenching was confirmed as static quenching. An important feature of our chemosensor is high selectivity towards the determination of silver ion in aqueous solution over the other competitive metal ions. The detection limit of the sensor achieved 5 fM for Ag+ ion, which is superior to all previously reported chemosensors. The NMR and FT-IR studies were also carried out to support the complex formation between thionine and Ag+ ion. The practicality of the proposed chemosensor for determination of Ag+ ion was carried in untreated water samples.

  11. Assisted Interpretation of Laser-Induced Fluorescence Spectra of Egg-Based Binding Media Using Total Emission Fluorescence Spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anglos, D.; Nevin, A.

    2006-01-01

    Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy can provide nondestructive, qualitative analysis of protein-based binding media found in artworks. Fluorescence emissions from proteins in egg yolk and egg white are due to auto fluorescent aromatic amino acids as well as other native and age-related fluorophores, but the potential of fluorescence spectroscopy for the differentiation between binding media is dependent on the choice of a suitable excitation wavelength and limited by problems in interpretation. However, a better understanding of emission spectra associated with LIF can be achieved following comparisons with total emission fluorescence spectra where a series of consecutive emission spectra are recorded over a specific range. Results using nanosecond UV laser sources for LIF of egg-based binding media are presented which are rationalised following comparisons with total emission spectra. Specifically, fluorescence is assigned to tryptophan and oxidation products of amino acids; in the case of egg yolk, fatty-acid polymerisation and age-related degradation products account for the formation of fluorophores.

  12. Understanding the Synthesis and Properties of Molecular Silver Nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashenfelter, Brian A.

    Molecular nanoparticles have emerged as an interesting class of materials whose atomically precise structures and discrete properties set them apart from their larger counterparts. Molecular silver nanoparticles are of particular interest because they provide a host of advantages as optical materials for possible use in sensing and imaging applications. However, relatively little is known about molecular silver nanoparticles including the details of their formation and their optical and mechanical properties. Size control remains a longstanding challenge in the production of glutathionate (SG) protected silver nanoparticles. Singular Ag:SG nanoparticle products have been difficult to obtain directly, but size focusing of larger distributions through attrition has been found to lead to useful isolation of particular species. Here, we present a methodology for controlling the size of Ag:SG molecular nanoparticles that leverages the stability of the most robust species. These results were then used to develop a facile approach for achieving two of the most stable species in the Ag:SG system. Molecular metal nanoparticles are known to be much more fluorescent than larger plasmonic nanoparticles, however the nature and origin of this fluorescence are not fully understood. Fluorescence can originate from either the quantum states within the metal core or mixed ligand states at the inorganic-organic interface. We have presented compelling evidence that fluorescence from molecular silver glutathionate nanoparticles has its origin in interfacial electronic states. Fluorescence spectra were found to be independent of size, with very similar wavelength and bandwidth, although the quantum yield was not. Excitation spectra indicated that the strongest fluorescence had its origin in that part of the spectrum that is dominated by ligand-related states. Further, excitations to strictly core states and to higher lying d-band states had little to no contribution to the fluorescence

  13. Silver enhancement of nanogold and undecagold

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hainfield, J.F.; Furuya, F.R.

    1995-07-01

    A recent advance in immunogold technology has been the use of molecular gold instead of colloidal gold. A number of advantages are realized by this approach, such as stable covalent, site-specific attachment, small probe size and absence of aggregates for improved penetration. Silver enhancement has led to improved and unique results for electron and light microscopy, as well as their use with blots and gels. Most previous work with immunogold silver staining has been done with colloidal gold particles. More recently, large gold compounds (``clusters``) having a definite number of gold atoms and defined organic shell, have been used, frequently with improved results. These gold dusters, large compared to simple compounds, are, however, at the small end of the colloidal gold scale in size; undecagold is 0.8 nm and Nanogold is 1.4 nm. They may be used in practically all applications where colloidal gold is used (Light and electron microscopy, dot blots, etc.) and in some unique applications, where at least the larger colloidal golds don`t work, such as running gold labeled proteins on gels (which are later detected by silver enhancement). The main differences between gold clusters and colloidal golds are the small size of the dusters and their covalent attachment to antibodies or other molecules.

  14. Metal plasmon-coupled fluorescence imaging and label free coenzyme detection in cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Jian, E-mail: jian@cfs.bioment.umaryland.edu [Center for Fluorescence Spectroscopy, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 725 West Lombard Street, Baltimore, MD 21201 (United States); Fu, Yi [Center for Fluorescence Spectroscopy, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 725 West Lombard Street, Baltimore, MD 21201 (United States); Li, Ge [Division of Molecular Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 10 South Pine Street, Baltimore, MD 21201 (United States); Zhao, Richard Y. [Division of Molecular Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 10 South Pine Street, Baltimore, MD 21201 (United States); Department of Microbiology-Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 10 South Pine Street, Baltimore, MD 21201 (United States); Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 10 South Pine Street, Baltimore, MD 21201 (United States)

    2012-08-31

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Metal nanoparticle for fluorescence cell imaging. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Non-invasive emission detection of coenzyme in cell on time-resolved confocal microscope. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Near-field interaction of flavin adenine dinucleotide with silver substrate. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Isolation of emissions by coenzymes from cellular autofluorescence on fluorescence cell imaging. -- Abstract: Flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) is a key metabolite in cellular energy conversion. Flavin can also bind with some enzymes in the metabolic pathway and the binding sites may be changed due to the disease progression. Thus, there is interest on studying its expression level, distribution, and redox state within the cells. FAD is naturally fluorescent, but it has a modest extinction coefficient and quantum yield. Hence the intrinsic emission from FAD is generally too weak to be isolated distinctly from the cellular backgrounds in fluorescence cell imaging. In this article, the metal nanostructures on the glass coverslips were used as substrates to measure FAD in cells. Particulate silver films were fabricated with an optical resonance near the absorption and the emission wavelengths of FAD which can lead to efficient coupling interactions. As a result, the emission intensity and quantum yield by FAD were greatly increased and the lifetime was dramatically shortened resulting in less interference from the longer lived cellular background. This feature may overcome the technical limits that hinder the direct observation of intrinsically fluorescent coenzymes in the cells by fluorescence microscopy. Fluorescence cell imaging on the metallic particle substrates may provide a non-invasive strategy for collecting the information of coenzymes in cells.

  15. Highly sensitive and selective detection of Pb2+ using a turn-on fluorescent aptamer DNA silver nanoclusters sensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Baozhu; Wei, Chunying

    2018-05-15

    A novel turn-on fluorescent biosensor has been constructed using C-PS2.M-DNA-templated silver nanoclusters (Ag NCs) with an average diameter of about 1 nm. The proposed approach presents a low-toxic, simple, sensitive, and selective detection for Pb 2+ . The fluorescence intensity of C-PS2.M-DNA-Ag NCs enhances significantly in the presence of Pb 2+ , which is attributed to the special interaction between Pb 2+ and its aptamer DNA PS2.M. Pb 2+ induces the aptamer to form G-quadruplex and makes two darkish DNA/Ag NCs located at the 3' and 5' terminus close, resulting in the fluorescence light-up. Moreover, Pb 2+ can be detected as low as 3.0 nM within a good linear range from 5 to 50 nM (R = 0.9862). Furthermore, the application for detection of Pb 2+ in real water samples further demonstrates the reliability of the sensor. Thus, this sensor system shows a potential application for monitoring Pb 2+ in environmental samples. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Silver content determination in mining and ore dressing using radionuclide-excited X-ray fluorescence analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koerner, B.; George, R.; Ratnikow, W.

    1989-01-01

    A laborsaving method based on radionuclide-excited X-ray fluorescence is described for the determination of silver in mining and ore dressing. Detection limits reached under operation conditions and measuring errors are discussed and compared with results from chemical analyses

  17. Halogenated salicylaldehyde azines: The heavy atom effect on aggregation-induced emission enhancement properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Xiao-tong; Tong, Ai-jun

    2014-01-01

    This study investigates the heavy-atom effect (HAE) on aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) properties of salicylaldehyde azines. For this purpose, a series of halogenated salicylaldehyde azine derivatives, namely, chloro-salicylaldehyde azine (1), bromo-salicylaldehyde azine (2) and iodo-salicylaldehyde azine (3) are synthesized. 1 and 2 display typical AIEE characteristics of salicylaldehyde azine compounds; whereas for the iodo-substituent in 3, is found to be effective “external” heavy atom quenchers to salicylaldehyde azine fluorescence in aggregated state. Based on its weak fluorescence in aggregated state and relative strong fluorescence in dispersed state, 3 can also be applied as a turn-on fluorescence probe for egg albumin detection attributed to hydrophobic interaction. -- Highlights: • This study investigates the heavy-atom effect (HAE) on aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) properties of salicylaldehyde azines. • Chloro- and bromo-salicylaldehyde display typical AIEE properties of salicylaldehyde azine, whereas the iodo-substitute quenches AIEE in aggregated state. • Iodo-salicylaldehyde can be applied as a turn-on fluorescence probe for egg albumin detection attributed to hydrophobic interaction

  18. Fluorescence enhancement of samarium complex co-doped with terbium complex in a poly(methyl methacrylate) matrix

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jiu Hongfang; Zhang Lixin; Liu Guode; Fan Tao

    2009-01-01

    The fluorescence property of Sm(DBM) 3 phen- (DBM-dibenzoylmethide, phen-1,10-phenanthroline) and Tb(DBM) 3 phen-co-doped poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) was investigated. The excitation, emission spectra and fluorescence lifetime of the co-doped samples were examined. In the co-doped samples, the luminescence intensities of Sm 3+ enhance with an increase of the Tb(DBM) 3 phen content and with a decrease of the Sm(DBM) 3 phen content. The reason for the fluorescence enhancement effect in the co-doped polymer is the intermolecular energy transfer. To give a vivid picture for this co-doped system, a model for the fluorescence enhancement of Sm(DBM) 3 phen- and Tb(DBM) 3 phen-co-doped PMMA is presented

  19. Detection of Counterfeit Tequila by Fluorescence Spectroscopy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Manuel de la Rosa Vázquez

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available An ultraviolet (UV light induced fluorescence study to discriminate fake tequila from genuine ones is presented. A portable homemade system based on four light emitting diodes (LEDs from 255 to 405 nm and a miniature spectrometer was used. It has been shown that unlike fake and silver tequila, which produce weak fluorescence signal, genuine mixed, rested, and aged tequilas show high fluorescence emission in the range from 400 to 750 nm. The fluorescence intensity grows with aging in 100% agave tequila. Such fluorescence differences can even be observed with naked eyes. The presented results demonstrate that the fluorescence measurement could be a good method to detect counterfeit tequila.

  20. Ultra-thin Glass Film Coated with Graphene: A New Material for Spontaneous Emission Enhancement of Quantum Emitter

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Lu Sun; Chun Jiang

    2015-01-01

    We propose an ultra-thin glass film coated with graphene as a new kind of surrounding material which can greatly enhance spontaneous emission rate(SER) of dipole emitter embedded in it. With properly designed parameters,numerical results show that SER-enhanced factors as high as 1.286 9 106 can be achieved. The influences of glass film thickness and chemical potential/doping level of graphene on spontaneous emission enhancement are also studied in this paper. A comparison is made between graphene and other coating materials such as gold and silver to see their performances in SER enhancement.

  1. Highly selective and sensitive fluorescent chemosensor for femtomolar detection of silver ion in aqueous medium

    OpenAIRE

    Arulraj, Abraham Daniel; Devasenathipathy, Rajkumar; Chen, Shen-Ming; Vasantha, Vairathevar Sivasamy; Wang, Sea-Fue

    2015-01-01

    The chemical sensing for the trace level detection of silver ion in aqueous solution still remains a challenge using simple, rapid, and inexpensive method. We report that thionine can be used as a fluorescent probe for the detection of Ag+ ion. The successive addition of Ag+ ion to the solution containing thionine quenches (turns-off) the fluorescence intensity of thionine. Association and quenching constants have been estimated by the Benesi–Hildebrand method and Stern–Volmer plot, respectiv...

  2. New dual emission fluorescent sensor for pH and Pb(II) based on bis(napfthalimide) derivative

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pina-Luis, Georgina, E-mail: gpinaluis@yahoo.com [Centro de Graduados e Investigacion en Quimica, Instituto Tecnologico de Tijuana, AP 1166, Tijuana 22500, BC (Mexico); Martinez-Quiroz, Marisela; Ochoa-Teran, Adrian [Centro de Graduados e Investigacion en Quimica, Instituto Tecnologico de Tijuana, AP 1166, Tijuana 22500, BC (Mexico); Santacruz-Ortega, Hisila [Departamento de investigacion en Polimeros y Materiales, Universidad de Sonora, Hermosillo, Sonora 83000 (Mexico); Mendez-Valenzuela, Eduardo [Centro de Graduados e Investigacion en Quimica, Instituto Tecnologico de Tijuana, AP 1166, Tijuana 22500, BC (Mexico)

    2013-02-15

    This paper describes a novel dual emission bis-1,8-naphthalimide sensor for selective determination of pH and Pb{sup 2+} ions. The influence of the variability in the backbone that links the two fluorophores (naphthalimides) as a function of pH and metal ions was studied by UV-visible and fluorescence spectroscopy. Compounds 1(a-d) with different length alkyl linkers (CH{sub 2}){sub n} (n=1, 2, 4 and 6) showed no excimer formation in aqueous solution. Fluorescence emission of these derivatives varied in a narrow range of pH (5-8) and was only slightly influenced by the addition of metal ions in CH{sub 3}CN solutions. However, derivative 1e with amino-containing spacer (CH{sub 2}-NH-CH{sub 2}) showed excimer emission in aqueous solution, a wide response to pH (2.5-9.5) and fluorescence enhancement with selective behavior towards metal ions. The pH sensor based in derivative 1e has a sufficient selectivity for practical pH monitoring in the presence of Li{sup +}, Na{sup +}, K{sup +}, Cs{sup +}, Ca{sup 2+}, Mg{sup 2+}, Ba{sup 2+}, Cu{sup 2+}, Pb{sup 2+}, Ni{sup 2+}, Zn{sup 2+} and Cd{sup 2+}. The coordination chemistry of these complexes was studied by UV-Vis, fluorescence and {sup 1}H NMR. This chemosensor displayed high selectivity fluorescence enhancement toward Pb{sup 2+} ions in the presence of the metals ions mentioned in CH{sub 3}CN solutions. Competitive assays show that a 1-fold of metal cations in each case, compared with Pb{sup 2+} ions, results in less than {+-}5% fluorescence intensity changes. Linear calibration up to 1 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -5} M for Pb(II) ions (R=0.9968) was obtained and detection limit resulted of 5.0 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -8} M. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A novel dual emission bis-1,8-naphthalimide sensor for pH and Pb{sup 2+} ions is synthetized. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The excimer formation depends on the spacer that links the two naphthalimide groups. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Bis

  3. Oligonucleotide-stabilized fluorescent silver nanoclusters for the specific and sensitive detection of biotin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiong, Xiaoli; Tang, Yan; Zhao, Jingjin; Zhao, Shulin

    2016-02-21

    A novel biotin fluorescent probe based on oligonucleotide-stabilized silver nanoclusters (DNA-AgNCs) was synthesized by employing a biotinylated cytosine-rich sequence as a synthesized template. The fluorescence properties of the DNA-AgNCs are related to the modified position of the DNA. When biotin is linked to the middle thymine base of the DNA sequence, the DNA-AgNCs emit the strongest fluorescence. Moreover, the stability of the DNA-AgNCs was affected by avidin through biotin-avidin binding, quenching the fluorescence of the DNA-AgNCs. In contrast, if free biotin is further introduced into this system, the quenching is apparently weakened by competition, leading to the restoration of fluorescence. This phenomenon can be utilized for the detection of biotin. Under the optimal conditions, the fluorescence recovery is linearly proportional to the concentration of biotin in the range of 10 nM-1.0 μM with a detection limit of 6.0 nM. This DNA-AgNCs probe with excellent fluorescent properties is sensitive and selective for the detection of biotin and has been applied for the determination of biotin in wheat flour.

  4. Gold Doping of Silver Nanoclusters: A 26-Fold Enhancement in the Luminescence Quantum Yield

    KAUST Repository

    Soldan, Giada

    2016-04-10

    A high quantum yield (QY) of photoluminescence (PL) in nanomaterials is necessary for a wide range of applications. Unfortunately, the weak PL and moderate stability of atomically precise silver nanoclusters (NCs) suppress their utility. Herein, we accomplished a ≥26-fold PL QY enhancement of the Ag29(BDT)12(TPP)4 cluster (BDT: 1,3-benzenedithiol; TPP: triphenylphosphine) by doping with a discrete number of Au atoms, producing Ag29-xAux(BDT)12(TPP)4, x=1-5. The Au-doped clusters exhibit an enhanced stability and an intense red emission around 660nm. Single-crystal XRD, mass spectrometry, optical, and NMR spectroscopy shed light on the PL enhancement mechanism and the probable locations of the Au dopants within the cluster.

  5. Plasma-Induced Wafer-Scale Self-Assembly of Silver Nanoparticles and Application to Biochemical Sensing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yunbo Shi

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available In this work, the wafer-scale silver nanoparticles fabricated by a self-assembly method was demonstrated based on a magnetron sputtering and plasma treatment process. Silver nanoparticles of different sizes and shapes were prepared, and the effects of the plasma treatment time, plasma gas composition, and power were systematically investigated to develop a method for low-cost and large-scale fabrication of silver nanoparticles. Furthermore, the surface-enhanced Raman scattering experiments: crystal violet, as the probe, was absorbed on the silver nanoparticles film of different size and density, and get the phenomena of surface-enhanced Raman scattering and surface-enhanced fluorescence. The results show that the proposed technique provides a rapid method for the fabrication of silver nanomaterial; the method is adaptable to large-scale production and is compatible with the fabrication of other materials and biosensors.

  6. Fluorescence quenching of N,N-bis(2,5-di-tert-butylphenyl)-3,4:9,10-perylenebis(dicarboximide) (DBPI) by silver nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    El-Daly, Samy A., E-mail: samyeldaly@yahoo.com [Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, PO Box 80203, Jeddah 21589 (Saudi Arabia); Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta 2173 (Egypt); Rahman, Mohammed M. [Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, PO Box 80203, Jeddah 21589 (Saudi Arabia); Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials Research (CEAMR), King Abdulaziz University, PO Box 80203, Jeddah 21589 (Saudi Arabia); Alamry, Kahlid A. [Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, PO Box 80203, Jeddah 21589 (Saudi Arabia); Asiri, Abdullah M. [Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, PO Box 80203, Jeddah 21589 (Saudi Arabia); Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials Research (CEAMR), King Abdulaziz University, PO Box 80203, Jeddah 21589 (Saudi Arabia)

    2014-04-15

    The interaction of a perylene derivative namely N,N-bis(2,5-di-tert-butylphenyl)-3,4:9,10-perylenebis(dicarboximide) (DBPI) with colloidal silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was studied in ethanol and ethylene glycol using steady state fluorescence quenching measurements. The Stern–Volmer quenching rate constant (K{sub sv}) was calculated as 4.03×10{sup 9} and 29.14×10{sup 9} M{sup −1} in ethanol and ethylene glycol, respectively. From fluorescence quenching data, static quenching and energy transfer play a major role in the fluorescence quenching of DBPI by AgNPs. The apparent association constant (k{sub app}) was calculated as 1.26×10{sup 8} M{sup −1} in EtOH and 1.83×10{sup 9} M{sup −1} in ethylene glycol. Due to potential AgNPs interaction with DBPI, the average AgNPs size is increased slightly from ∼37.1 nm (As-prepared) to 48.9 nm. -- Highlights: • Fluorescence quenching of photostable DBPI by AgNPs. • Static quenching mechanism of interaction between DBPI and AgNPs. • Enhancement of fluorescence quenching of DBPI in ethylene glycol.

  7. The Synthesis of Wavelength-Controlled CdTe/Hydroxyapatite Composites and Their Fluorescence Enhancement by Bovine Serum Albumin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li Jin

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available For the last ten years, quantum dots modified by biological materials have made it possible to study biochemical processes by means of biomedical imaging. This thesis introduced how the fluorescence CdTe quantum dots/hydroxyapatite composites were synthesized and how their structure, morphology, and fluorescence property were characterized by using TEM, XRD, EDS, UV-vis absorption spectra, and fluorescence spectra. The fluorescence spectra indicated the superb photometric characteristics of CdTe/HA composites. We also found that refluxing temperature and time had prominent effects on fluorescence wavelength and intensity of CdTe/HA composites, so the fluorescence emission wavelength of CdTe/HA composites could be controlled. In addition, the effect of BSA on the fluorescence properties of CdTe/HA composites was studied. The fluorescent emission intensity of CdTe/HA composites was enhanced directly with increasing concentrations of BSA; meanwhile, the fluorescence emission intensity of BSA dramatically decreased, which indicated that a Förster nonradiative energy transfer process occurred through the formation of chemical bonds between BSA and CdTe/HA composites. And the two-dimensional correlation (2D COS was used to analyze the BSA solution before and after the reaction, which indicated that CdTe/HA composites have bound to a site at the surface of the molecule in the first subdomain IA. We also found that there was a linear relationship between the fluorescence intensity enhancement (F/F0 of CdTe/HA composites and the concentration of the bovine serum albumin, which might become a method for quantitative analysis of BSA in a real sample.

  8. Surface-confined fluorescence enhancement of Au nanoclusters anchoring to a two-dimensional ultrathin nanosheet toward bioimaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Rui; Yan, Dongpeng; Li, Chunyang; Xu, Simin; Liang, Ruizheng; Guo, Lingyan; Wei, Min; Evans, David G.; Duan, Xue

    2016-05-01

    Gold nanoclusters (Au NCs) as ultrasmall fluorescent nanomaterials possess discrete electronic energy and unique physicochemical properties, but suffer from relatively low quantum yield (QY) which severely affects their application in displays and imaging. To solve this conundrum and obtain highly-efficient fluorescent emission, 2D exfoliated layered double hydroxide (ELDH) nanosheets were employed to localize Au NCs with a density as high as 5.44 × 1013 cm-2, by virtue of the surface confinement effect of ELDH. Both experimental studies and computational simulations testify that the excited electrons of Au NCs are strongly confined by MgAl-ELDH nanosheets, which results in a largely promoted QY as well as prolonged fluorescence lifetime (both ~7 times enhancement). In addition, the as-fabricated Au NC/ELDH hybrid material exhibits excellent imaging properties with good stability and biocompatibility in the intracellular environment. Therefore, this work provides a facile strategy to achieve highly luminescent Au NCs via surface-confined emission enhancement imposed by ultrathin inorganic nanosheets, which can be potentially used in bio-imaging and cell labelling.Gold nanoclusters (Au NCs) as ultrasmall fluorescent nanomaterials possess discrete electronic energy and unique physicochemical properties, but suffer from relatively low quantum yield (QY) which severely affects their application in displays and imaging. To solve this conundrum and obtain highly-efficient fluorescent emission, 2D exfoliated layered double hydroxide (ELDH) nanosheets were employed to localize Au NCs with a density as high as 5.44 × 1013 cm-2, by virtue of the surface confinement effect of ELDH. Both experimental studies and computational simulations testify that the excited electrons of Au NCs are strongly confined by MgAl-ELDH nanosheets, which results in a largely promoted QY as well as prolonged fluorescence lifetime (both ~7 times enhancement). In addition, the as-fabricated Au NC

  9. The effect of silver thickness on the enhancement of polymer based SERS substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schneidewind, H; Weber, K; Zeisberger, M; Hübner, U; Dellith, A; Cialla-May, D; Mattheis, R; Popp, J

    2014-01-01

    We investigated silver-covered polymer based nanogratings as substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), in particular with respect to the thickness of the plasmonically active silver film. In order to obtain accurate geometrical input data for the simulation process, we inspected cross sections of the gratings prepared by breaking at cryogenic temperature. We noticed a strong dependence of the simulation results on geometrical variations of the structures. Measurements revealed that an increasing silver film thickness on top of the nanogratings leads to a blue shift of the plasmonic resonance, as predicted by numerical simulations, as well as to an increased field enhancement for an excitation at 488 nm. We found a clear deviation of the experimental data compared to the simulated results for very thin silver films due to an island-like growth at a silver thickness below 20 nm. In order to investigate the SERS activity. we carried out measurements with crystal violet as a model analyte at an excitation wavelength of 488 nm. The SERS enhancement increases up to a silver thickness of about 30 nm, whereas it remains nearly constant for thicker silver films. (paper)

  10. Dose of radiation enhancement, using silver nanoparticles in a human tissue equivalent gel dosimeter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hassan, Muhammad; Waheed, Muhammad Mohsin; Anjum, Muhammad Naeem

    2016-01-01

    To quantify the radiation dose enhancement in a human tissue-equivalent polymer gel impregnated with silver nanoparticles. The case-control study was conducted at the Bahawalpur Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Oncology, Bahawalpur, Pakistan, in January 2014. Silver nanoparticles used in this study were prepared by wet chemical method. Polymer gel was prepared by known quantity of gelatine, methacrylic acid, ascorbic acid, copper sulphate pentahydrate, hydroquinone and water. Different concentrations of silver nanoparticles were added to the gel during its cooling process. The gel was cooled in six plastic vials of 50ml each. Two vials were used as a control sample while four vials were impregnated with silver nanoparticles. After 22 hours, the vials were irradiated with gamma rays by aCobalt-60 unit. Radiation enhancement was assessed by taking magnetic resonance images of the vials. The images were analysed using Image J software. The dose enhancement factor was 24.17% and 40.49% for 5Gy and 10Gy dose respectively. The dose enhancement factor for the gel impregnated with 0.10mM silver nanoparticles was 32.88% and 51.98% for 5Gy and 10Gy dose respectively. The impregnation of a tissue-equivalent gel with silver nanoparticles resulted in dose enhancement and this effect was magnified up to a certain level with the increase in concentration of silver nanoparticles.

  11. Micellar Enhanced Three-Dimensional Excitation-Emission Matrix Fluorescence for Rapid Determination of Antihypertensives in Human Plasma with Aid of Second-Order Calibration Methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hai-Yan Fu

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available A highly sensitive three-dimensional excitation-emission fluorescence method was proposed to determine antihypertensives including valsartan and amlodipine besylate in human plasma with the aid of second-order calibration methods based on parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC and alternating trilinear decomposition (ATLD algorithms. Antihypertensives with weak fluorescent can be transformed into a strong fluorescent property by changing microenvironment in samples using micellar enhanced surfactant. Both the adopted algorithms with second-order advantage can improve the resolution and directly attain antihypertensives concentration even in the presence of potential strong intrinsic fluorescence from human plasma. The satisfactory results can be achieved for valsartan and amlodipine besylate in complicated human plasma. Furthermore, some statistical parameters and figures of merit were evaluated to investigate the performance of the proposed method, and the accuracy and precision of the proposed method were also validated by the elliptical joint confidence region (EJCR test and repeatability analysis of intraday and interday assay. The proposed method could not only light a new avenue to directly determine valsartan or amlodipine besylate in human plasma, but also hold great potential to be extended as a promising alternative for more practical applications in the determination of weak fluorescent drugs.

  12. Highly fluorescent silver nanoclusters in alumina-silica composite optical fiber

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Halder, A.; Chattopadhyay, R.; Majumder, S.; Paul, M. C.; Das, S.; Bhadra, S. K., E-mail: skbhadra@cgcri.res.in [Fiber Optics and Photonics Division, CSIR-Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute, 196, Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Kolkata 700032 (India); Bysakh, S.; Unnikrishnan, M. [Material Characterization Division, CSIR-Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute, 196, Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Kolkata 700032 (India)

    2015-01-05

    An efficient visible fluorescent optical fiber embedded with silver nanoclusters (Ag-NCs) having size ∼1 nm, uniformly distributed in alumina-silica composite core glass, is reported. Fibers are fabricated in a repetitive controlled way through modified chemical vapour deposition process associated with solution doping technique. Fibers are drawn from the transparent preforms by conventional fiber drawing process. Structural characteristics of the doped fibers are studied using transmission electron microscopy and electron probe micro analysis. The oxidation state of Ag within Ag-NCs is investigated by X-ray photo electron spectroscopy. The observed significant fluorescence of the metal clusters in fabricated fibers is correlated with electronic model. The experimentally observed size dependent absorption of the metal clusters in fabricated fibers is explained with the help of reported results calculated by ab-initio density functional theory. These optical fibers may open up an opportunity of realizing tunable wavelength fiber laser without the help of rare earth elements.

  13. Archaeometrical studies on medieval silver coins at the Bucharest TANDEM Accelerator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bugoi, R.; Constantin, F.; Constantinescu, B.; Oberlaender-Tarnoveanu, E.; Parvan, K.

    2003-01-01

    An extensive study on Medieval Moldavian (XIVth - XVIth Centuries) silver coins (Groschen) using 3 MeV protons PIXE (Proton Induced X-ray Emission) and '2 41 Am source based XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence) was performed in order to determine the evolution of the coinage (debasement, metal sources, minting technologies). XRF was used to determine heavier elements concentrations. Comparing the trace elements results (Bi, Pb, Zn, Au) obtained on these samples with the ones on coins from Hungary, Poland, Tatar Khanate, Bohemia we bring support to the curator hypothesis that a lot of Moldavian emissions were made by melting foreign coins, possibly obtained as customs taxes or from trade with these neighbouring countries. For the late medieval silver coins, the high Hg content may be an indication of an imperfect metallurgical processing of the local silver ores. The relationship between the silver content of the coins and the military conflicts corresponding to the minting periods is discussed, taking into account the fact that crisis times are characterized by a decrease in the precious metal concentration. (authors)

  14. Archaeometrical studies on medieval silver coins at the Bucharest Tandem Accelerator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bugoi, Roxana; Constantin, Florin; Constantinescu, Bogdan

    2005-01-01

    An extensive study on Medieval Moldavian (XIVth - XVIth Centuries) silver coins (groschen) using 3 MeV protons PIXE (Proton Induced X-ray Emission) and 241 Am source based XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence) was performed in order to determine the evolution of the coinage (debasement, metal sources, minting technologies). XRF was used to determine the heavier elements concentrations. Comparing the trace element results (Bi, Pb, Zn, Au) obtained on these samples with the ones on coins from Hungary, Poland, Tatar Khanate, Bohemia, we bring support to the curator hypothesis that a lot of Moldavian emissions were made by melting foreign coins, possibly obtained as customs taxes or from trade with these neighbouring countries. For the late medieval silver coins, the high Hg content may be an indication of an imperfect metallurgical processing of the local silver ores. The relationship between the silver content of the coins and the military conflicts corresponding to the minting periods is discussed, taking into account the fact that crisis times are characterized by a decrease in the precious metal concentration. (authors)

  15. In situ synthesized and embedded silver nanoclusters into poly vinyl alcohol-borax hydrogel as a novel dual mode "on and off" fluorescence sensor for Fe (III) and thiosulfate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pourreza, Nahid; Ghomi, Matineh

    2018-03-01

    Herein, a novel method has been developed for in situ synthesis and embedding of silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) into polyvinyl alcohol and borax hydrogel (PBH) without adding any reducing agent. A three-dimensional network of polyvinyl alcohol and borax is formed, and at the same time the silver ions penetrate into the hydrogel, reduced to silver and trapped into the hydrogel bed. The characteristics of this hydrogel nanocomposite were investigated by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was also observed that the fluorescence intensity of embedded AgNCs into polyvinyl alcohol and borax hydrogel (AgNCs-PBH) was enhanced and quenched in the presence of Fe (III) and thiosulfate, respectively. Therefore a novel dual on-off fluorescence sensor was developed based on polyvinyl alcohol-borax hydrogel for the first time. After preparing this new probe, the effect of Fe (III) and thiosulfate was investigated. The size- depending of label free AgNCs was found to be responsible for the enhancing and quenching of the fluorescence as well as obvious color changing. Under the approved condition, the linear ranges were validated over the concentration of 0.14-27.0µmolL -1 and 0.1-1.0µmolL -1 for Fe (III) and thiosulfate, respectively. The limit of detection based on three times the standard deviation of the blank was 0.045 and 0.060µmolL -1 for Fe (III) and thiosulfate, respectively. The relative standard deviation for intra-day and inter-day determinations of both Fe (III) and thiosulfate were in the range of 3.23-5.17% (n = 10). This sensing probe was used for Fe (III) detection in some food samples and thiosulfate in water samples with acceptable results and good recoveries. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Suppression of Kasha's rule as a mechanism for fluorescent molecular rotors and aggregation-induced emission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qian, Hai; Cousins, Morgan E.; Horak, Erik H.; Wakefield, Audrey; Liptak, Matthew D.; Aprahamian, Ivan

    2017-01-01

    Although there are some proposed explanations for aggregation-induced emission, a phenomenon with applications that range from biosensors to organic light-emitting diodes, current understanding of the quantum-mechanical origin of this photophysical behaviour is limited. To address this issue, we assessed the emission properties of a series of BF2-hydrazone-based dyes as a function of solvent viscosity. These molecules turned out to be highly efficient fluorescent molecular rotors. This property, in addition to them being aggregation-induced emission luminogens, enabled us to probe deeper into their emission mechanism. Time-dependent density functional theory calculations and experimental results showed that the emission is not from the S1 state, as predicted from Kasha's rule, but from a higher energy (>S1) state. Furthermore, we found that suppression of internal conversion to the dark S1 state by restricting the rotor rotation enhances fluorescence, which leads to the proposal that suppression of Kasha's rule is the photophysical mechanism responsible for emission in both viscous solution and the solid state.

  17. Biocompatible fluorescence-enhanced ZrO2-CdTe quantum dot nanocomposite for in vitro cell imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Zhisong; Zhu, Zhihong; Zheng, Xinting; Qiao, Yan; Guo, Jun; Li, Chang Ming

    2011-04-01

    With advances of quantum dots (QDs) in bioimaging applications, various materials have been used to coat QDs to reduce their nanotoxicity; however, the coating could introduce new toxic sources and quench the fluorescence in bioimaging applications. In this work, ZrO2, an excellent ceramic material with low extinction coefficient and good biocompatibility, is utilized to coat CdTe QDs for the first time. Experimental results show that ZrO2-QD nanocomposites with the size of ~ 30 nm possess enhanced fluorescence emission, lower nanotoxicity and gradually increased fluorescence under 350 nm light illumination. After functionalization with folic acid, they were applied to label cultured HeLa cells effectively. Therefore, the ZrO2-QD nanocomposites could be promising biocompatible nanomaterials with strong fluorescence emission to replace or complement QDs in biomedical applications.

  18. Biocompatible fluorescence-enhanced ZrO2-CdTe quantum dot nanocomposite for in vitro cell imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lu Zhisong; Zhu Zhihong; Zheng Xinting; Qiao Yan; Li Changming; Guo Jun

    2011-01-01

    With advances of quantum dots (QDs) in bioimaging applications, various materials have been used to coat QDs to reduce their nanotoxicity; however, the coating could introduce new toxic sources and quench the fluorescence in bioimaging applications. In this work, ZrO 2 , an excellent ceramic material with low extinction coefficient and good biocompatibility, is utilized to coat CdTe QDs for the first time. Experimental results show that ZrO 2 -QD nanocomposites with the size of ∼ 30 nm possess enhanced fluorescence emission, lower nanotoxicity and gradually increased fluorescence under 350 nm light illumination. After functionalization with folic acid, they were applied to label cultured HeLa cells effectively. Therefore, the ZrO 2 -QD nanocomposites could be promising biocompatible nanomaterials with strong fluorescence emission to replace or complement QDs in biomedical applications.

  19. Fluorescence Enhancement Factors on Optical Antennas: Enlarging the Experimental Values without Changing the Antenna Design

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jérôme Wenger

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Plasmonic antennas offer promising opportunities to control the emission of quantum objects. As a consequence, the fluorescence enhancement factor is widely used as a figure of merit for a practical antenna realization. However, the fluorescence enhancement factor is not an intrinsic property of the antenna. It critically depends on several parameters, some of which are often disregarded. In this contribution, I explore the influence of the setup collection efficiency, emitter's quantum yield, and excitation intensity. Improperly setting these parameters may significantly alter the enhancement values, leading to potential misinterpretations. The discussion is illustrated by an antenna example of a nanoaperture surrounded by plasmonic corrugations.

  20. Ground and excited state behavior of 1,4-dimethoxy-3-methyl-anthracene-9,10-dione in silver nanoparticles: Spectral and computational investigations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Umadevi, M., E-mail: ums10@yahoo.com [Department of Physics, Mother Teresa Women' s University, Kodaikanal 624101, Tamil Nadu (India); Kavitha, S.R. [Department of Physics, Mother Teresa Women' s University, Kodaikanal 624101, Tamil Nadu (India); Vanelle, P.; Terme, T.; Khoumeri, O. [Laboratoire de Pharmaco-Chimie Radicalaire, Faculté de Pharmacie, Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, Institut de Chimie Radicalaire ICR, UMR 7273, 27 Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille Cedex 05 (France)

    2013-10-15

    Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) of various sizes have been successfully synthesized by the simple and convenient Creighton method using sodium borohydride as the reducing agent under microwave irradiation. Optical absorption and fluorescence emission spectroscopic techniques were employed to investigate the effect of silver nanoparticles on the ground and excited state of 1,4-dimethoxy-3-methylanthracene-9,10-dione (DMMAD). The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak of the prepared silver colloidal solution was observed at 400 nm. Fluorescence quenching of DMMAD by silver nanoparticles has been found to increase with increase in the size of Ag. The fluorescence quenching has been explained by Forster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) theory between DMMAD and silver nanoparticles. The Stern–Volmer quenching constant and Benesi–Hildebrand association constant for the above system were calculated. DFT calculations were also performed to study the charge distribution of DMMAD in Ag both in ground and excited states. -- Highlights: • Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) have been synthesized using the Creighton method. • Effect of Ag NPs on the ground state of DMMAD was studied. • Influence of Ag NPs on the excited state of DMMAD was investigated. • Fluorescence quenching has been explained by Forster Resonance Energy Transfer. • Quenching and binding constants were also calculated.

  1. Folic acid functionalized silver nanoparticles with sensitivity and selectivity colorimetric and fluorescent detection for Hg2+ and efficient catalysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Dongyue; Yang, Xin; Xia, Qingdong; Zhang, Qi; Chai, Fang; Wang, Chungang; Qu, Fengyu

    2014-09-05

    In this research, folic acid functionalized silver nanoparticles (FA-AgNPs) were selected as a colorimetric and a 'turn on' fluorescent sensor for detecting Hg(2+). After being added into Hg(2+), AgNPs can emit stable fluorescence at 440 nm when the excitation wavelength is selected at 275 nm. The absorbance and fluorescence of the FA-AgNPs could reflect the concentration of the Hg(2+) ions. Thus, we developed a simple, sensitive analytical method to detect Hg(2+) based on the colorimetric and fluorescence enhancement of FA-AgNPs. The sensor exhibits two linear response ranges between absorbance and fluorescence intensity with Hg(2+) concentration, respectively. Meanwhile, a detection limit of 1 nM is estimated based on the linear relationship between responses with a concentration of Hg(2+). The high specificity of Hg(2+) with FA-AgNPs interactions provided the excellent selectivity towards detecting Hg(2+) over other metal ions (Pb(2+), Mg(2+), Zn(2+), Ni(2+), Cu(2+), Co(2+), Ca(2+), Mn(2+), Fe(2+), Cd(2+), Ba(2+), Cr(6+) and Cr(3+)). This will provide a simple, effective and multifunctional colorimetric and fluorescent sensor for on-site and real-time Hg(2+) ion detection. The proposed method can be applied to the analysis of trace Hg(2+) in lake water. Additionally, the FA-AgNPs can be used as efficient catalyst for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol and potassium hexacyanoferrate (III).

  2. Sample analysis using gamma ray induced fluorescent X-ray emission

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sood, B S; Allawadhi, K L; Gandhi, R; Batra, O P; Singh, N [Punjabi Univ., Patiala (India). Nuclear Science Labs.

    1983-01-01

    A non-destructive method for the analysis of materials using gamma ray-induced fluorescent x-ray emission has been developed. In this method, special preparation of very thin samples in which the absorption of the incident gamma rays and the emitted fluorescent x-rays is negligible, is not needed, and the absorption correction is determined experimentally. A suitable choice of the incident gamma ray energies is made to minimise enhancement effects through selective photoionization of the elements in the sample. The method is applied to the analysis of a typical sample of the soldering material using 279 keV and 59.5 keV gamma rays from /sup 203/Hg and /sup 241/Am radioactive sources respectively. The results of the analysis are found to agree well with those obtained from the chemical analysis.

  3. PVP capped silver nanocubes assisted removal of glyphosate from water-A photoluminescence study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarkar, Sumit; Das, Ratan

    2017-10-05

    Glyphosate [N-phosphono-methylglycine (PMG)] is the most used herbicide worldwide and it has been reported very recently that Glyphosate is very harmful and can produce lots of diseases such as alzheimer and parkinson's disease, depression, cancer, infertility including genotoxic effects. As it is mostly present in stable water body and ground water system, its detection and removal is very important. Here, we have shown a fluorescence technique for the removal of glyphosate from water using chemically synthesized polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) silver nanocrystals. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) study shows the average size of silver nanocrystals of 100nm approximately with a morphology of cubic shape. Glyphosate does not show absorption in the visible region. But both glyphosate and silver nanocrystals show strong fluorescence in the visible region. So, photoluminescence study has been successfully utilized to detect the glyphosate in water samples and on treating the glyphosate contaminated water sample with silver nanocrystals, the sample shows no emission peak of glyphosate at 458nm. Thus, this approach is a promising and very rapid method for the detection and removal of glyphosate from water samples on treatment with silver nanocubes. NMR spectra further confirms that the silver nanocrystals treated contaminated water samples are glyphosate free. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. High-quality substrate for fluorescence enhancement using agarose-coated silica opal film.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Ming; Li, Juan; Sun, Liguo; Zhao, Yuanjin; Xie, Zhuoying; Lv, Linli; Zhao, Xiangwei; Xiao, Pengfeng; Hu, Jing; Lv, Mei; Gu, Zhongze

    2010-08-01

    To improve the sensitivity of fluorescence detection in biochip, a new kind of substrates was developed by agarose coating on silica opal film. In this study, silica opal film was fabricated on glass substrate using the vertical deposition technique. It can provide stronger fluorescence signals and thus improve the detection sensitivity. After coating with agarose, the hybrid film could provide a 3D support for immobilizing sample. Comparing with agarose-coated glass substrate, the agarose-coated opal substrates could selectively enhance particular fluorescence signals with high sensitivity when the stop band of the silica opal film in the agarose-coated opal substrate overlapped the fluorescence emission wavelength. A DNA hybridization experiment demonstrated that fluorescence intensity of special type of agarose-coated opal substrates was about four times that of agarose-coated glass substrate. These results indicate that the optimized agarose-coated opal substrate can be used for improving the sensitivity of fluorescence detection with high quality and selectivity.

  5. Cavity-enhanced spontaneous emission rates for rhodamine 6-G in levitated microdroplets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barnes, M.D.; Whitten, W.B.; Ramsey, J.M.; Arnold, S.

    1992-01-01

    Fluorescence decay kinetics of Rhodamine 6-G molecules in levitated glycerol microdroplets (4--20 microns in diameter) have been investigated to determine the effects of spherical cavity resonances on spontaneous emission rates. For droplet diameters greater than 10 microns, the fluorescence lifetime is essentially the same as in bulk glycerol. As the droplet diameter is decreased below 10 microns, bi-exponential decay behavior is observed with a slow component whose rate is similar to bulk glycerol, and a fast component whose rate is as much as a factor of 10 larger than the bulk decay rate. This fast component is attributed to cavity enhancement of the spontaneous emission rate and, within the weak coupling approximation, a value for the homogeneous linewidth at room temperature can be estimated from the fluorescence lifetime data

  6. Selective excitation of singly-ionized silver emission lines by Grimm glow discharge plasmas using several different plasma gases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wagatsuma, K.

    1996-01-01

    The relative intensities of silver emission lines from Grimm glow discharge plasmas were investigated in the wavelength range from 160 to 600 nm when using different plasma gases. It was characteristic of the plasma excitation that the spectral patterns were strongly dependent on the nature of the plasma gas employed. Intense emission lines of silver ion were observed when argon-helium mixed gases were employed as the plasma gas. Selective excitation of the ionic lines could be principally attributed to the charge transfer collisions between silver atoms and helium ions. (orig.)

  7. Selective detection of Mg2+ ions via enhanced fluorescence emission using Au–DNA nanocomposites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tanushree Basu

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The biophysical properties of DNA-modified Au nanoparticles (AuNPs have attracted a great deal of research interest for various applications in biosensing. AuNPs have strong binding capability to the phosphate and sugar groups in DNA, rendering unique physicochemical properties for detection of metal ions. The formation of Au–DNA nanocomposites is evident from the observed changes in the optical absorption, plasmon band, zeta potential, DLS particle size distribution, as well as TEM and AFM surface morphology analysis. Circular dichroism studies also revealed that DNA-functionalized AuNP binding caused a conformational change in the DNA structure. Due to the size and shape dependent plasmonic interactions of AuNPs (33–78 nm with DNA, the resultant Au–DNA nanocomposites (NCs exhibit superior fluorescence emission due to chemical binding with Ca2+, Fe2+ and Mg2+ ions. A significant increase in fluorescence emission (λex = 260 nm of Au–DNA NCs was observed after selectively binding with Mg2+ ions (20–800 ppm in an aqueous solution where a minimum of 100 ppm Mg2+ ions was detected based on the linearity of concentration versus fluorescence intensity curve (λem = 400 nm. The effectiveness of Au–DNA nanocomposites was further verified by comparing the known concentration (50–120 ppm of Mg2+ ions in synthetic tap water and a real life sample of Gelusil (300–360 ppm Mg2+, a widely used antacid medicine. Therefore, this method could be a sensitive tool for the estimation of water hardness after careful preparation of a suitably designed Au–DNA nanostructure.

  8. The potential application of silver and positron emission tomography for in vivo dosimetry during radiotherapy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Anders T; Hansen, Søren B; Petersen, Jørgen B

    2007-01-01

    of absorbed dose per gram of silver. This demonstrates that it is possible to derive absorbed doses from the radioactivity induced in silver by radiation when measured with the PET scanner. Even though the physical basis for this method is found to be sound, its application, for instance to perform quality......The possible use of silver as a material for in vivo dosimetry in radiotherapy was investigated. The investigation was carried out using a positron emission tomography (PET) scanner, two clinical accelerators and a phantom with silver implants. The phantom was irradiated several times to doses...

  9. Fluorescent silver nanoparticles via exploding wire technique

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Pure silver nanoparticles in double distilled water were generated via simple physical method using pure (99.9%) silver wires with 0.2 mm diameter. These wires have been exploded in water by bringing them into sudden contact with pure (99.9%) silver plate when subjected to a potential difference of 36 V DC. High current.

  10. Electrical pulse – mediated enhanced delivery of silver nanoparticles into living suspension cells for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin, J; Li, B; Feng, S; Chen, G; Li, Y; Huang, Z; Chen, R; Yu, Y; Huang, H; Lin, S; Li, C; Su, Y; Zeng, H

    2012-01-01

    Electrical pulse-mediated enhanced silver nanoparticles delivery is a much better method for intracellular surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) measurements of suspension cells. Robust and high-quality SERS spectra of living suspension cells were obtained based on an electroporation-SERS method, which can overcomes the shortcoming of non-uniform distribution of silver nanoparticles localized in the cell cytoplasm after electroporation and reduces the amount variance of silver nanoparticles delivered into different cells. The electroporation parameters include three 150 V (375 V/cm) electric pulses of 1, 5, and 5 ms durations respectively. Our results indicate that considerable amount of silver nanoparticles can be rapidly delivered into the human promyelocytic leukemia HL60 cells, and the satisfied SERS spectra were obtained while the viability of the treated cells was highly maintained (91.7%). The electroporation-SERS method offers great potential approach in delivering silver nanoparticles into living suspension cells, which is useful for widely biomedical applications including the real-time intracellular SERS analysis of living cells

  11. pH-Responsive Fluorescence Enhancement in Graphene Oxide-Naphthalimide Nanoconjugates: A Fluorescence Turn-On Sensor for Acetylcholine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mangalath, Sreejith; Abraham, Silja; Joseph, Joshy

    2017-08-22

    A pH-sensitive, fluorescence "turn-on" sensor based on a graphene oxide-naphthalimide (GO-NI) nanoconjugate for the detection of acetylcholine (ACh) by monitoring the enzymatic activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in aqueous solution is reported. These nanoconjugates were synthesized by covalently anchoring picolyl-substituted NI derivatives on the GO/reduced GO surface through a 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide/N-hydroxysuccinimide coupling strategy, and the morphological and photophysical properties were studied in detail. Synergistic effects of π-π interactions between GO and the NI chromophore, and efficient photoinduced electron- and energy-transfer processes, were responsible for the strong quenching of fluorescence of these nanoconjugates, which were perturbed under acidic pH conditions, leading to significant enhancement of fluorescence emission. This nanoconjugate was successfully employed for the efficient sensing of pH changes caused by the enzymatic activity of AChE, thereby demonstrating its utility as a fluorescence turn-on sensor for ACh in the neurophysiological range. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Plasmonic enhancement of ultraviolet fluorescence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiao, Xiaojin

    Plasmonics relates to the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and conduction electrons at metallic interfaces or in metallic nanostructures. Surface plasmons are collective electron oscillations at a metal surface, which can be manipulated by shape, texture and material composition. Plasmonic applications cover a broad spectrum from visible to near infrared, including biosensing, nanolithography, spectroscopy, optoelectronics, photovoltaics and so on. However, there remains a gap in this activity in the ultraviolet (UV, research. Motivating factors in the study of UV Plasmonics are the direct access to biomolecular resonances and native fluorescence, resonant Raman scattering interactions, and the potential for exerting control over photochemical reactions. This dissertation aims to fill in the gap of Plasmonics in the UV with efforts of design, fabrication and characterization of aluminium (Al) and magnesium (Mg) nanostructures for the application of label-free bimolecular detection via native UV fluorescence. The first contribution of this dissertation addresses the design of Al nanostructures in the context of UV fluorescence enhancement. A design method that combines analytical analysis with numerical simulation has been developed. Performance of three canonical plasmonic structures---the dipole antenna, bullseye nanoaperture and nanoaperture array---has been compared. The optimal geometrical parameters have been determined. A novel design of a compound bullseye structure has been proposed and numerically analyzed for the purpose of compensating for the large Stokes shift typical of UV fluorescence. Second, UV lifetime modification of diffusing molecules by Al nanoapertures has been experimentally demonstrated for the first time. Lifetime reductions of ~3.5x have been observed for the high quantum yield (QY) laser dye p-terphenyl in a 60 nm diameter aperture with 50 nm undercut. Furthermore, quantum-yield-dependence of lifetime reduction has been

  13. Biocompatible fluorescence-enhanced ZrO{sub 2}-CdTe quantum dot nanocomposite for in vitro cell imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lu Zhisong; Zhu Zhihong; Zheng Xinting; Qiao Yan; Li Changming [School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 70 Nanyang Drive, 637457 (Singapore); Guo Jun, E-mail: ecmli@ntu.edu.sg [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Nanyang Avenue, 639798 (Singapore)

    2011-04-15

    With advances of quantum dots (QDs) in bioimaging applications, various materials have been used to coat QDs to reduce their nanotoxicity; however, the coating could introduce new toxic sources and quench the fluorescence in bioimaging applications. In this work, ZrO{sub 2}, an excellent ceramic material with low extinction coefficient and good biocompatibility, is utilized to coat CdTe QDs for the first time. Experimental results show that ZrO{sub 2}-QD nanocomposites with the size of {approx} 30 nm possess enhanced fluorescence emission, lower nanotoxicity and gradually increased fluorescence under 350 nm light illumination. After functionalization with folic acid, they were applied to label cultured HeLa cells effectively. Therefore, the ZrO{sub 2}-QD nanocomposites could be promising biocompatible nanomaterials with strong fluorescence emission to replace or complement QDs in biomedical applications.

  14. Silver nanoparticles enhanced luminescence properties of Er³⁺ doped tellurite glasses: Effect of heat treatment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fares, Hssen; Férid, Mokhtar [Laboratoire de Physico-Chimie des Matériaux Minéraux et leurs Applications, Centre National de Recherches en Sciences des Matériaux, B.P. 95 Hammam-Lif, 2050 (Tunisia); Elhouichet, Habib, E-mail: habib.elhouichet@fst.rnu.tn [Laboratoire de Physico-Chimie des Matériaux Minéraux et leurs Applications, Centre National de Recherches en Sciences des Matériaux, B.P. 95 Hammam-Lif, 2050 (Tunisia); Department of Physics, Sciences Faculty of Tunis, University Tunis ElManar 2092 (Tunisia); Gelloz, Bernard [Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, 2-24-16 Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8603 (Japan)

    2014-09-28

    Tellurite glasses doped Er³⁺ ions and containing Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) are prepared using melt quenching technique. The nucleation and growth of Ag NPs were controlled by a thermal annealing process. The X-ray diffraction pattern shows no sharp peak indicating an amorphous nature of the glasses. The presence of Ag NPs is confirmed from transmission electron microscopy micrograph. Absorption spectra show typical surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band of Ag NPs within the 510–550 nm range in addition to the distinctive absorption peaks of Er³⁺ ions. The Judd-Ofelt (J-O) intensity parameters, oscillator strengths, spontaneous transition probabilities, branching ratios, and radiative lifetimes were successfully calculated based on the experimental absorption spectrum and the J-O theory. It was found that the presence of silver NPs nucleated and grown during the heat annealing process improves both of the photoluminescence (PL) intensity and the PL lifetime relative to the ⁴I13/2 → ⁴I15/2 transition. Optimum PL enhancement was obtained after 10 h of heat-treatment. Such enhancements are mainly attributed to the strong local electric field induced by SPR of silver NPs and also to energy transfer from the surface of silver NPs to Er³⁺ ions, whereas the quenching is ascribed to the energy transfer from Er³⁺ ions to silver NPs. Using the Mc Cumber method, absorption cross-section, calculated emission cross-section, and gain cross-section for the ⁴I13/2 → ⁴I15/2 transition were determined and compared for the doped and co-doped glasses. The present results indicate that the glass heat-treated for 10 h has good prospect as a gain medium applied for 1.53 μm band broad and high-gain erbium-doped fiber amplifiers.

  15. Facile synthesis of silver/silver thiocyanate (Ag@AgSCN plasmonic nanostructures with enhanced photocatalytic performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xinfu Zhao

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available A nanostructured plasmonic photocatalyst, silver/silver thiocyanate (Ag@AgSCN, has been prepared by a simple precipitation method followed by UV-light-induced reduction. The ratio of Ag to silver thiocyanate (AgSCN can be controlled by simply adjusting the photo-induced reduction time. The formation mechanism of the product was investigated based on the time-dependent experiments. Further experiments indicated that the prepared Ag@AgSCN nanostructures with an atomic ratio of Ag/AgSCN = 0.0463 exhibited high photocatalytic activity and long-term stability for the degradation of oxytetracycline (84% under visible-light irradiation. In addition to the microstructure and high specific surface area, the enhanced photocatalytic activity was mainly caused by the surface plasmon resonance of Ag nanoparticles, and the high stability of AgSCN resulted in the long-term stability of the photocatalyst product.

  16. Localized surface plasmon resonance enhanced photoluminescence of CdSe QDs in PMMA matrix on silver colloids with different shapes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lu Liu; Xu Xiaoliang; Shi Chaoshu; Ming Hai

    2010-01-01

    Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) enhanced photoluminescences (PL) from CdSe quantum dots (QDs) on worm-like or quasi-spherical silver colloids have been investigated. The shape of silver colloid film is controlled by annealing temperature (200 o C∼350 o C). Strong PL enhancements of CdSe QDs on both as-grown and annealed silver colloid films are observed. The results show that the PL enhancement factor of CdSe QDs on worm-like silver colloid film reaches as high as 15-fold. Moreover, the enhancement factor is 5 times larger than that obtained from the quasi-spherical silver colloids. The superiority of worm-like silver nanostructure on LSPR enhanced photoluminescence is attributed to its larger size, hot spots and multiple dipole resonance modes coupling, which are induced by aggregation effect.

  17. Enhanced eumelanin emission by stepwise three-photon excitation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kerimo, Josef; Rajadhyaksha, Milind; DiMarzio, Charles A.

    2011-03-01

    Eumelanin fluorescence from Sepia officinalis and black human hair was activated with near-infrared radiation and multiphoton excitation. A third order multiphoton absorption by a step-wise process appears to be the underlying mechanism. The activation was caused by a photochemical process since it could not be reproduced by simple heating. Both fluorescence and brightfield imaging indicate the near-infrared irradiation caused photodamage to the eumelanin and the activated emission originated from the photodamaged region. At least two different components with about thousand-fold enhanced fluorescence were activated and could be distinguished by their excitation properties. One component was excited with wavelengths in the visible region and exhibited linear absorption dependence. The second component could be excited with near-infrared wavelengths and had a third order dependence on the laser power. The third order dependence is explained by a step-wise excited state absorption (ESA) process since it could be observed equally with the CW and femtosecond lasers. The new method for photoactivating the eumelanin fluorescence was used to map the melanin content in human hair.

  18. Fluorescence spectral studies of Gum Arabic: Multi-emission of Gum Arabic in aqueous solution

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dhenadhayalan, Namasivayam, E-mail: ndhena@gmail.com [Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Mythily, Rajan, E-mail: rajanmythily@gmail.com [Department of Chemistry, Dwaraka Doss Goverdhan Doss Vaishnav College (Autonomous), 833, Gokul Bagh, E.V.R. Periyar Road, Arumbakkam, Chennai 600 106 (India); Kumaran, Rajendran, E-mail: kumaranwau@rediffmail.com [Department of Chemistry, Dwaraka Doss Goverdhan Doss Vaishnav College (Autonomous), 833, Gokul Bagh, E.V.R. Periyar Road, Arumbakkam, Chennai 600 106 (India)

    2014-11-15

    Gum Arabic (GA), a food hydrocolloid is a natural composite obtained from the stems and branches of Acacia Senegal and Acacia Seyal trees. GA structure is made up of highly branched arabinogalactan polysaccharides. Steady-state absorption, fluorescence, and time-resolved fluorescence spectral studies of acid hydrolyzed GA solutions were carried out at various pH conditions. The fluorescence in GA is predominantly attributed to the presence of tyrosine and phenylalanine amino acids. The presence of multi-emissive peaks at different pH condition is attributed to the exposure of the fluorescing amino acids to the aqueous phase, which contains several sugar units, hydrophilic and hydrophobic moieties. Time-resolved fluorescence studies of GA exhibits a multi-exponential decay with different fluorescence lifetime of varying amplitude which confirms that tyrosine is confined to a heterogeneous microenvironment. The existence of multi-emissive peaks with large variation in the fluorescence intensities were established by 3D emission contour spectral studies. The probable location of the fluorophore in a heterogeneous environment was further ascertained by constructing a time-resolved emission spectrum (TRES) and time-resolved area normalized emission spectrum (TRANES) plots. Fluorescence spectral technique is used as an analytical tool in understanding the photophysical properties of a water soluble complex food hydrocolloid containing an intrinsic fluorophore located in a multiple environment is illustrated. - Highlights: • The Manuscript deals with the steady state absorption, emission, fluorescence lifetime and time-resolved emission spectrum studies of Gum Arabic in aqueous medium at various pH conditions. • The fluorescence emanates from the tyrosine amino acid present in GA. • Change in pH results in marked variation in the fluorescence spectral properties of tyrosine. • Fluorescence spectral techniques are employed as a tool in establishing the

  19. Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy of Ethephone Adsorbed on Silver Surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Chul Jae; Kim, Hee Jin; Karim, Mohammad Rezaul; Lee, Mu Sang

    2006-01-01

    We investigated the Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) spectrum of ethephone (2- chloroethylphosphonic acid). We observed significant signals in the ordinary Raman spectrum for solid-state ethephone as well as when it was adsorbed on a colloidal silver surface, strong vibrational signals were obtained at a very low concentration. The SERS spectra were obtained by silver colloids that were prepared by the γ - irradiation method. The influence of pH and the influence of anion (Cl - , Br - , I - ) on the adsorption orientation were investigated. Two different adsorption mechanisms were deduced, depending on the experimental conditions. The chlorine atom or the chlorine and two oxygen atoms were adsorbed on the colloidal silver surface. Among halide ions, Br - and I - were more strongly adsorbed on the colloidal silver surfaces. As a result, the adsorption of ethephone was less effective due to their steric hinderance

  20. Probing the Absorption and Emission Transition Dipole Moment of DNA Stabilized Silver Nanoclusters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hooley, Emma Nicole; Carro Temboury, Miguel R.; Vosch, Tom André Jos

    2017-01-01

    Using single molecule polarization measurements, we investigate the excitation and emission polarization characteristics of DNA stabilized silver nanoclusters (C24-AgNCs). Although small changes in the polarization generally accompany changes to the emission spectrum, the emission and excitation...... transition dipoles tend to be steady over time and aligned in a similar direction, when immobilized in PVA. The emission transition dipole patterns, observed for C24-AgNCs in defocused wide field imaging, match that of a single emitter. The small changes to the polarization and spectral shifting that were...

  1. Analysis of Catalonian silver coins from the Spanish War of Independence period (1808-1814) by Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pitarch, A., E-mail: apitarch@ija.csic.e [Laboratory of X-Ray Analytical Applications, Institute of Earth Sciences ' Jaume Almera' - ICTJA, Spanish Council for Scientific Research - CSIC, Lluis Sole Sabaris s/n, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Queralt, I. [Laboratory of X-Ray Analytical Applications, Institute of Earth Sciences ' Jaume Almera' - ICTJA, Spanish Council for Scientific Research - CSIC, Lluis Sole Sabaris s/n, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Alvarez-Perez, A. [Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona (Spain)

    2011-02-01

    Between the years 1808 and 1814, the Spanish War of Independence took place. This period, locally known as 'Guerra del Frances', generated the need for money and consequently five mints were opened around the Catalan territory. To mark the 200th anniversary of the beginning of the war, an extensive campaign of Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence measurements of some of these 'emergency coins' was carried out. Apart from the silver (major constituent of all the studied coins) it has been possible to recognize copper as main metal alloying element. Likewise, the presence of zinc, tin, lead, gold, platinum, antimony, nickel and iron has been also identified. The obtained results have been useful not only for the characterization of the alloys, but also to determine the differences and analogies between the emissions and for historical explanations.

  2. Penetration of silver nanoparticles into porcine skin ex vivo using fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy, Raman microscopy, and surface-enhanced Raman scattering microscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Yongjian; Choe, Chun-Sik; Ahlberg, Sebastian; Meinke, Martina C; Alexiev, Ulrike; Lademann, Juergen; Darvin, Maxim E

    2015-05-01

    In order to investigate the penetration depth of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) inside the skin, porcine ears treated with Ag NPs are measured by two-photon tomography with a fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (TPT-FLIM) technique, confocal Raman microscopy (CRM), and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) microscopy. Ag NPs are coated with poly-N-vinylpyrrolidone and dispersed in pure water solutions. After the application of Ag NPs, porcine ears are stored in the incubator for 24 h at a temperature of 37°C. The TPT-FLIM measurement results show a dramatic decrease of the Ag NPs' signal intensity from the skin surface to a depth of 4 μm. Below 4 μm, the Ag NPs' signal continues to decline, having completely disappeared at 12 to 14 μm depth. CRM shows that the penetration depth of Ag NPs is 11.1 ± 2.1 μm. The penetration depth measured with a highly sensitive SERS microscopy reaches 15.6 ± 8.3 μm. Several results obtained with SERS show that the penetration depth of Ag NPs can exceed the stratum corneum (SC) thickness, which can be explained by both penetration of trace amounts of Ag NPs through the SC barrier and by the measurements inside the hair follicle, which cannot be excluded in the experiment.

  3. Two-photon excited fluorescence emission from hemoglobin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Qiqi; Zeng, Yan; Zhang, Wei; Zheng, Wei; Luo, Yi; Qu, Jianan Y.

    2015-03-01

    Hemoglobin, one of the most important proteins in blood, is responsible for oxygen transportation in almost all vertebrates. Recently, we discovered two-photon excited hemoglobin fluorescence and achieved label-free microvascular imaging based on the hemoglobin fluorescence. However, the mechanism of its fluorescence emission still remains unknown. In this work, we studied the two-photon excited fluorescence properties of the hemoglobin subunits, heme/hemin (iron (II)/(III) protoporphyrin IX) and globin. We first studied the properties of heme and the similar spectral and temporal characteristics of heme and hemoglobin fluorescence provide strong evidence that heme is the fluorophore in hemoglobin. Then we studied the fluorescence properties of hemin, globin and methemoglobin, and found that the hemin may have the main effect on the methemoglobin fluorescence and that globin has tryptophan fluorescence like other proteins. Finally, since heme is a centrosymmetric molecule, that the Soret band fluorescence of heme and hemoglobin was not observed in the single photon process in the previous study may be due to the parity selection rule. The discovery of heme two-photon excited fluorescence may open a new window for heme biology research, since heme as a cofactor of hemoprotein has many functions, including chemical catalysis, electron transfer and diatomic gases transportation.

  4. Archaeometrical studies on medieval silver coins at the Bucharest Tandem Accelerator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bugoi, Roxana; Constantin, Florin; Constantinescu, Bogdan

    2002-01-01

    The analysis of archaeological objects requires simultaneously, non-destructive, fast, versatile, sensitive and multielemental methods. The purpose of our work is to help Romanian curators to identify objects' provenance (workshops, technologies, mines) and to establish commercial, military and political connections. Medieval Moldavian (XIV-XVI Centuries) silver coins (groschen) were studied to determine the evolution of the coinage (debasement, metal sources, minting technologies). For these coins, two methods were used: 3 MeV protons PIXE (Proton Induced X-ray Emission) and 241 Am source based XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence). XRF was used to determine the heavier elements concentrations. Comparing the trace elements results (Bi, Pb, Zn, Au, Sb) obtained on these samples with the ones on coins from the neighboring countries (Hungary, Poland, Tatar Khanate, Bohemia) we concluded that a lot of Moldavian emissions were made by melting foreign coins, probably obtained as customs taxes. For some coins, the Hg presence is an indication of the use of local silver ores to manufacture local money. The relationship between the silver content of the coins and the military conflicts during various periods is discussed. (authors)

  5. Flame emission, atomic absorption and fluorescence spectrometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Horlick, G.

    1980-01-01

    Six hundred and thirty references are cited in this review. The information in the review is divided into 12 major areas: books, reviews, and bibliographies; fundamental studies in flames; developments in instrumentation; measurement techniques and procedure; flame emission spectrometry; flame atomic absorption spectrometry; flame molecular absorption spectrometry; electrothermal atomization atomic absorption spectroscopy; hydride generation techniques; graphite furnace atomic emission spectrometry; atomic fluorescence spectrometry; and analytical comparisons

  6. Fluorescence Quenching of Humic Acid by Coated Metallic Silver Particles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Guocheng; Yin, Jun

    2017-07-01

    Natural organic matter is an important component of the aquatic environments, which has attracted wide attention to its influence of interaction with other pollutants. The present work aimed to investigate its fluorescence quenching (FQ) by coated metallic silver particles (AgNPs). In this work, using fluorescence spectroscopy in conjunction with UV-Vis spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering, the effect of coated AgNPs on fluorescence quenching intensity (FQI) of humic acid (HA) was assessed. In addition, the influence of electrolytes (NaCl, NaNO 3 and CaNO 3 ) in the FQI was observed. Results showed that with AgNPs dosage increased (>1.17X10 -3  mM), fluorescence quantum yield of HA gradually decreased, which implies that the FQ occurred. Furher observation showed that the FQ process followed both first-order and second-order Stern-Volmer functions. The FQ process was affected by the electrolytes: NaCl had an effect on reduction of FQI, possibly resulting from dissolution of AgNPs; Both of NaNO 3 and Ca(NO 3 ) 2 had an effect on the FQ of HA but Ca(NO 3 ) 2 presented greater degree. As a result, the FQ degree of HA by alone electrolyte was listed in descent order as Ca(NO 3 ) 2  > NaNO 3  > NaCl, which also implies the subsequent experimental results, indicating the FQ degree of HA by mutual electrolytes as Ca(NO 3 ) 2  + NaNO 3  > Ca(NO 3 ) 2  + NaCl > NaNO 3  + NaCl.

  7. X-Ray Fluorescence and Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy analysis of Roman silver denarii

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pardini, L. [Istituto di Chimica dei Composti Organometallici del CNR, Research Area of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa (Italy); El Hassan, A. [National Institute for Laser- Enhanced Sciences (NILES), Cairo University Giza (Egypt); Ferretti, M. [Istituto per le Tecnologie Applicate ai Beni Culturali, Area della Ricerca del CNR di Montelibretti Roma (Italy); Foresta, A.; Legnaioli, S.; Lorenzetti, G. [Istituto di Chimica dei Composti Organometallici del CNR, Research Area of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa (Italy); Nebbia, E. [Universita degli Studi di Torino (Italy); Catalli, F. [Monetiere di Firenze, Museo Archeologico Nazionale Firenze (Italy); Harith, M.A. [National Institute for Laser- Enhanced Sciences (NILES), Cairo University Giza (Egypt); Diaz Pace, D. [Institute of Physics ' Arroyo Seco' , Faculty of Science, Tandil (Argentina); Anabitarte Garcia, F. [Photonics Engineering Group, University of Cantabria, Santander (Spain); Scuotto, M. [Dipartimento di Scienze Archeologiche, Via Galvani 1, 56126 Pisa (Italy); Palleschi, V., E-mail: vincenzo.palleschi@cnr.it [Istituto di Chimica dei Composti Organometallici del CNR, Research Area of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa (Italy); Dipartimento di Scienze Archeologiche, Via Galvani 1, 56126 Pisa (Italy)

    2012-08-15

    In this paper we present the results of a study performed on a large collection of silver Roman republican denarii, encompassing about two centuries of history. The joint use of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy allowed for an accurate determination of the coins' elemental composition; the measurements, performed mostly in situ at the 'Monetiere' in Florence, revealed a striking connection between the 'quality' of the silver alloy and some crucial contemporary events. This finding was used to classify a group of denarii whose dating was otherwise impossible. The comparison with other contemporary denarii disproves a recent theory on the origin of the so called 'serrated' denarii (denarii showing notched chisel marks on the edge of the coin). - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We studied a large collection of Roman republican silver denarii. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer XRF and LIBS allowed to determine the precious metal content of the coins. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A correlation of the 'quality' of the alloy with some contemporary events was found. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The study allowed to controvert a recent theory on the so called 'serrated' denarii.

  8. Studies on ancient silver metallurgy using SR XRF and micro-PIXE

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vasilescu, Angela; Constantinescu, Bogdan; Stan, Daniela; Radtke, Martin; Reinholz, Uwe; Buzanich, Guenter; Ceccato, Daniele

    2015-12-01

    This work presents a complex evaluation of a series of Geto-Thracian silver adornments found on Romanian territory, part of the 4th century BC Agighiol (Northern Dobruja) hoard and of an ingot from the 1st century BC Geto-Dacian Surcea (Transylvania) hoard, using Synchrotron Radiation X-Ray Fluorescence and micro- Proton Induced X-ray Emission analysis and mapping in order to investigate aspects related to the elemental composition of the metal and the metallurgy implied in their manufacture. One of the samples can be linked to Laurion as the source of metal, and several items contain silver probably originated in Macedonia. The set of silver items was found to be heteregenous as composition and microstructure, and corrosion-related elements could be also identified in the X-Ray maps.

  9. The new fluorescence enhancement system Eu3+-ARADE-HMTM-AI3+ and its analytical application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wenwu Quin; Weisheng Liu; Tianlin Yang

    2004-01-01

    A new bis-Schiff base ligand, N,N -bis-(4-N-aminothiourea-2-amylidene)-4,4 -diaminodiphenyl ether (ARADE), was synthesized. Its complex with Eu 3+ in DMF emits the intrinsic fluorescence of Eu 3+ . The fluorescence intensity of the Eu 3+ -ARADE system was enhanced about 60-fold by the addition of hexamethylene tetramine (NMTM) and potash alum. This is a new fluorescence enhancement phenomenon. The excitation and emission wavelengths are 375 nm and 615 nm, respectively. Under optimal conditions, the fluorescence intensities vary linearly with the concentration of Eu 3+ in the range of 7.8x10 -9 -1.75x10 -5 mol L -1 with a detection limit of 5.2x10 -9 mol L -1 , or with the concentration of Al 3+ in the range of 3.1x10 -7 -9.7x10 -5 mol-L -1 with a detection limit of 2.7x10 -7 mol L -1 . The interferences of some rare earth metals and other inorganic ions were described. This method was applied to the determination of Eu 3+ in high purity yttrium oxide and the analysis of AI 3+ in alloy steel standard samples. The mechanism of fluorescence enhancement was also studied. (author)

  10. Microwave-assisted synthesis of BSA-modified silver nanoparticles as a selective fluorescent probe for detection and cellular imaging of cadmium(II)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gu, Yu; Li, Nan; Gao, Mengmeng; Wang, Zilu; Xiao, Deli; Li, Yun; Jia, Huning; He, Hua

    2015-01-01

    We have developed a microwave-assisted method for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) whose surface is modified with bovine serum albumin (BSA). The reaction involves reduction of the BSA-Ag(I) complex by tyrosine in strongly alkaline solution to form BSA-AgNPs. The reaction takes a few minutes only owing to rapid and uniform microwave heating. The modified AgNPs were characterized by UV–vis and fluorescence spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X- ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The BSA-AgNPs are yellow and display luminescence with a maximum at 521 nm if excited at 465 nm. They have a hydrodynamic diameter of 3–5 nm and possess good colloidal stability in the pH 4.6 to 12.0 range. The fluorescence of the BSA-AgNPs is enhanced by Cd(II) ion due to the formation of a stable hybrid conjugate referred to as Cd-BSA-AgNPs. The effect was exploited to quantify Cd(II) in spiked real water samples with a 4.7 nM detection limit, and also to fluorescently image Cd(II) in Hepatoma cells. (author)

  11. Surface Plasmons and Surface Enhanced Raman Spectra of Aggregated and Alloyed Gold-Silver Nanoparticles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y. Fleger

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Effects of size, morphology, and composition of gold and silver nanoparticles on surface plasmon resonance (SPR and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS are studied with the purpose of optimizing SERS substrates. Various gold and silver films made by evaporation and subsequent annealing give different morphologies and compositions of nanoparticles and thus different position of the SPR peak. SERS measurements of 4-mercaptobenzoic acid obtained from these films reveal that the proximity of the SPR peak to the exciting laser wavelength is not the only factor leading to the highest Raman enhancement. Silver nanoparticles evaporated on top of larger gold nanoparticles show higher SERS than gold-silver alloyed nanoparticles, in spite of the fact that the SPR peak of alloyed nanoparticles is narrower and closer to the excitation wavelength. The highest Raman enhancement was obtained for substrates with a two-peak particle size distribution for excitation wavelengths close to the SPR.

  12. Preparation of ordered silver angular nanoparticles array in block copolymer film for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Svanda, J. [University of Chemistry and Technology, Department of Solid State Engineering (Czech Republic); Gromov, M. V. [University of Minnesota Duluth, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (United States); Kalachyova, Y. [University of Chemistry and Technology, Department of Solid State Engineering (Czech Republic); Postnikov, P. S. [Tomsk Polytechnic University, Department of Technology of Organic Substances and Polymer Materials (Russian Federation); Svorcik, V.; Lyutakov, O., E-mail: lyutakoo@vscht.cz [University of Chemistry and Technology, Department of Solid State Engineering (Czech Republic)

    2016-10-15

    We report a single-step method of preparation of ordered silver nanoparticles array through template-assisted nanoparticles synthesis in the semidried block copolymer film. Ordered nanoparticles were prepared on different substrates by the proper choice of solvents combination and preparation procedure. In particular, block copolymer and silver nitrate were dissolved in the mix of tetrahydrofuran, toluene, and n-methylpyrolidone. During short spin-coating procedure ordering of block copolymer, evaporation of toluene and preferential silver redistribution into poly(4-vinylpyridine) block occurred. Rapid heating of semidry film initiated silver reduction, removing of residual solvent and creation of ordered silver array. After polymer removing silver nanoparticles array was tested as a suitable candidate for subdiffraction plasmonic application–surface-enhanced Raman scattering. Enhancement factor was calculated and compared with the literature data.

  13. Double surface plasmon enhanced organic light-emitting diodes by gold nanoparticles and silver nanoclusters

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gao, Chia-Yuan; Chen, Ying-Chung [Department of Electrical Engineering, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Chen, Kan-Lin [Department of Electronic Engineering, Fortune Institute of Technology, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Huang, Chien-Jung, E-mail: chien@nuk.edu.tw [Department of Applied Physics, National University of Kaohsiung, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China)

    2015-12-30

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • The buffer layer is inserted between PEDOT: PSS and the emitting layer in order to avoid that the nonradiative decay process of exciton is generated. • The silver nanoclusters will generate surface plasmon resonance effect, resulting that the localized electric field around the silver nanoclusters is enhanced. • When the recombination region of the excitons is too close to the nanoparticles of the hole-transport layer, the nonradiative quenching of excitons is generated. - Abstract: The influence of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) and silver nanoclusters (SNCs) on the performance of organic light-emitting diodes is investigated in this study. The GNPs are doped into (poly (3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene) poly (styrenesulfonate)) (PEDOT: PSS) and the SNCs are introduced between the electron-injection layer and cathode alumina. The power efficiency of the device, at the maximum luminance, with double surface plasmon resonance and buffer layer is about 2.15 times higher than that of the device without GNPs and SNCs because the absorption peaks of GNPs and SNCs are as good as the photoluminescence peak of the emission layer, resulting in strong surface plasmon resonance effect in the device. In addition, the buffer layer is inserted between PEDOT: PSS and the emitting layer in order to avoid that the nonradiative decay process of exciton is generated.

  14. Piperidine adsorption on two different silver electrodes: A combined surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy and density functional theory study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hao Yanling; Fang Yan

    2007-01-01

    The surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra of piperidine in silver colloid solution, on roughened silver electrode and on roughened silver electrode modified with silver nanoparticles were studied, and the high-quality SERS spectra of piperidine on roughened silver electrode modified with silver nanoparticles were obtained for the first time. Surface selection rules derived from the EM enhancement model were employed to deduce piperidine orientations on the different surfaces. On the basis of this, two models of piperidine adsorbed on the surface of the silver nanoparticles were built, and DFT-B3PW91/LanL2dz was applied to calculate the Raman frequencies. It proves that, at higher potential values, the piperidine is perpendicularly standing on the roughened silver electrode surface though its lone-electron pair, but in silver colloid solution and on the silver nanoparticles modified silver electrode the piperidine molecular lies flat on the silver surface. In the meantime, the potential dependent SERS of piperidine on the modified electrode were studied

  15. Enhanced spontaneous emission from the inside of a multilayer hyperbolic metamaterial (presentation video)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferrari, Lorenzo; Lu, Dylan; Lepage, Dominic; Liu, Zhaowei

    2014-09-01

    We study the spontaneous emission enhancement inside a hyperbolic metamaterial, composed of a periodic stack of silver and silicon layers. After showing that the decay rate outside the multilayer can be spectrally altered via the metallic filling ratio, we embed the source within the individual silicon layers, and predict a 3-fold increase of the Purcell factor with respect to its outer value. Then we include the emitter in a polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA) layer, and extract the plasmonic modes by means of a triangular and a rectangular grating, obtaining respectively a 10-fold and 6-fold enhancement in the power emitted into the far-field.

  16. Enhancement of single particle rare earth doped NaYF4: Yb, Er emission with a gold shell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Ling; Green, Kory; Hallen, Hans; Lim, Shuang Fang

    2015-01-01

    Upconversion of infrared light to visible light has important implications for bioimaging. However, the small absorption cross-section of rare earth dopants has limited the efficiency of these anti-Stokes nanomaterials. We present enhanced excitation absorption and single particle fluorescent emission of sodium yttrium fluoride, NaYF 4 : Yb, Er based upconverting nanoparticles coated with a gold nanoshell through surface plasmon resonance. The single gold-shell coated nanoparticles show enhanced absorption in the near infrared, enhanced total emission intensity, and increased green relative to red emission. We also show differences in enhancement between single and aggregated gold shell nanoparticles. The surface plasmon resonance of the gold-shell coated nanoparticle is shown to be dependent on the shell thickness. In contrast to other reported results, our single particle experimental observations are corroborated by finite element calculations that show where the green/red emission enhancement occurs, and what portion of the enhancement is due to electromagnetic effects. We find that the excitation enhancement and green/red emission ratio enhancement occurs at the corners and edges of the doped emissive core. (paper)

  17. In situ production of silver nanoparticles for high sensitive detection of ascorbic acid via inner filter effect

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rezaei, B., E-mail: rezaeimeister@gmail.com; Shahshahanipour, M.; Ensafi, Ali A.

    2017-02-01

    In the present research, a sensitive biosensing method was proposed for the detection of trace amounts of ascorbic acid (AA). Herein, colloidal silver nanoparticles (SNPs) were successfully in-situ produced by chemical reduction of silver ion in the presence of AA, as a reducing agent. The one-pot in-situ produced silver nanoparticles were characterized by UV–vis, dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential and transmission electron microscopic (TEM). SNPs act as a strong fluorescence quencher for the CdTe quantum dots via an inner filter effect (IFE). Since the absorption band of SNPs entirely covered both emission and excitation bands of QDs. Therefore, the decreasing in the fluorescence signal depends on the AA concentration in the linear range of 0.2–88.0 ng mL{sup −1} and with a detection limit of 0.02 ng mL{sup −1}. Relative standard deviations of 2.3% and 2.8% (n = 5) were achieved for the determination of 1.8 and 8.8 ng mL{sup −1} AA, respectively. This novel QDs nanosensor based on IFE could provide noticeable advantages of simplicity, convenience, cost-effectiveness, and sensitivity. This method was successfully applied for the detection of ascorbic acid in human real samples serums. - Highlights: • A sensitive and simple method has been developed for detection of ascorbic acid. • Silver nanoparticles as a strong quencher were prepared via the one-step reduction. • Its absorption band covered both emission and excitation bands of CdTe QDs. • So, the fluorescence of CdTe QDs quenching due to Inner filter effect.

  18. Dual fluorescence and laser emissions from fluorescein-Na and eosin-B

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Math, N.N.; Naik, L.R.; Suresh, H.M.; Inamdar, S.R.

    2006-01-01

    Dual laser emissions were observed from fluorescein-Na and eosin-B in ethanolic solutions individually in the concentration range from 10 -2 to 10 -3 mol dm -3 under N 2 laser excitation. The first compound was found to lase at two distinct regions with wavelength maxima around 540, 550 nm, while the second one around 558, 574 nm. Steady-state absorption, fluorescence excitation, fluorescence polarization, fluorescence emission and decays of the dyes in various solvents under varying conditions of excitation and detection systems were carried out to identify the nature of the emitting species responsible for laser emissions in two distinct regions. Both the dyes exhibited concentration and excitation wavelength dependence of fluorescence and the effects were found to be more pronounced in binary solution. The fluorescence decays of dyes were monoexponential in ethanol, while in some other solvents used, the decays showed biexponential behavior. The absorption and excitation studies using thin layers of solutions revealed the formation of dimers with the dye concentration around 1x10 -3 mol dm -3 . Fluorescence polarization and decay studies confirmed the presence of dimers. The two laser bands observed in the shorter and longer wavelengths were respectively ascribed to monomeric and dimeric species

  19. Dual fluorescence and laser emissions from fluorescein-Na and eosin-B

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Math, N.N. [Laser Spectroscopy (DRDO/KU) Programme, Department of Physics, Karnatak University, Dharwad 580 003 (India)]. E-mail: nnm31@rediffmail.com; Naik, L.R. [Laser Spectroscopy (DRDO/KU) Programme, Department of Physics, Karnatak University, Dharwad 580 003 (India); Suresh, H.M. [Laser Spectroscopy (DRDO/KU) Programme, Department of Physics, Karnatak University, Dharwad 580 003 (India); Inamdar, S.R. [Laser Spectroscopy (DRDO/KU) Programme, Department of Physics, Karnatak University, Dharwad 580 003 (India)

    2006-12-15

    Dual laser emissions were observed from fluorescein-Na and eosin-B in ethanolic solutions individually in the concentration range from 10{sup -2} to 10{sup -3} mol dm{sup -3} under N{sub 2} laser excitation. The first compound was found to lase at two distinct regions with wavelength maxima around 540, 550 nm, while the second one around 558, 574 nm. Steady-state absorption, fluorescence excitation, fluorescence polarization, fluorescence emission and decays of the dyes in various solvents under varying conditions of excitation and detection systems were carried out to identify the nature of the emitting species responsible for laser emissions in two distinct regions. Both the dyes exhibited concentration and excitation wavelength dependence of fluorescence and the effects were found to be more pronounced in binary solution. The fluorescence decays of dyes were monoexponential in ethanol, while in some other solvents used, the decays showed biexponential behavior. The absorption and excitation studies using thin layers of solutions revealed the formation of dimers with the dye concentration around 1x10{sup -3} mol dm{sup -3}. Fluorescence polarization and decay studies confirmed the presence of dimers. The two laser bands observed in the shorter and longer wavelengths were respectively ascribed to monomeric and dimeric species.

  20. Soy flour-derived carbon dots: facile preparation, fluorescence enhancement, and sensitive Fe{sup 3+} detection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fang, Liyang; Xu, Qian [China University of Petroleum, State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing (China); Zheng, Xing [Bei Jing Sinen En-Tech Co., Ltd (China); Zhang, Weina; Zheng, Jingtang, E-mail: jtzheng03@163.com; Wu, Mingbo, E-mail: wumb@upc.edu.cn; Wu, Wenting, E-mail: wuwt@upc.edu.cn [China University of Petroleum, State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing (China)

    2016-08-15

    Soy flour-derived carbon quantum dots (C-dots) were successfully synthesized via a facile one-step hydrothermal approach. The as-prepared C-dots exhibit an average diameter of 2.5 nm and the crystalline lattices are consistent with graphitic carbons. Meanwhile, they show strong photoluminescence (quantum yield is 7.85 %), good water solubility, and high photostability. Importantly, structural defects of the C-dots were designed to obtain controllable fluorescence, which was achieved by changing the contents of N defects and O defects of C-dots. Our results indicate that N defects can more effectively enhance the fluorescence emission than O defects. As the preparation temperature increases, the N defects are fine-tuned by substituting for partial O defects, reducing nonradiative recombination and enhancing fluorescence intensity, which is further confirmed by surface passivation. Due to its fine photostability, high sensitivity, and good selectivity for Fe{sup 3+}, the as-prepared C-dots were used as fluorescence probes for detection of ferric ion. The detection limitation comes to 0.021 µM.

  1. Effect of surface density silver nanoplate films toward surface-enhanced Raman scattering enhancement for bisphenol A detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bakar, N. A.; Salleh, M. M.; Umar, A. A.; Shapter, J. G.

    2018-03-01

    This paper reports a study on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) phenomenon of triangular silver nanoplate (NP) films towards bisphenol A (BPA) detection. The NP films were prepared using self-assembly technique with four different immersion times; 1 hour, 2 hours, 5 hours, and 8 hours. The SERS measurement was studied by observing the changes in Raman spectra of BPA after BPA absorbed on the NP films. It was found that the Raman intensity of BPA peaks was enhanced by using the prepared SERS substrates. This is clearly indicated that these SERS silver substrates are suitable to sense industrial chemical and potentially used as SERS detector. However, the rate of SERS enhancement is depended on the distribution of NP on the substrate surface.

  2. Biosynthesis, characterization, and antimicrobial applications of silver nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Priyanka; Kim, Yeon Ju; Singh, Hina; Wang, Chao; Hwang, Kyu Hyon; Farh, Mohamed El-Agamy; Yang, Deok Chun

    2015-01-01

    In the present study, the strain Brevibacterium frigoritolerans DC2 was explored for the efficient and extracellular synthesis of silver nanoparticles. These biosynthesized silver nanoparticles were characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry, which detected the formation of silver nanoparticles in the reaction mixture and showed a maximum absorbance at 420 nm. In addition, field emission transmission electron microscopy revealed the spherical shape of the nanoparticles. The dynamic light scattering results indicated the average particle size of the product was 97 nm with a 0.191 polydispersity index. Furthermore, the product was analyzed by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and elemental mapping, which displayed the presence of elemental silver in the product. Moreover, on a medical platform, the product was checked against pathogenic microorganisms including Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Salmonella enterica, Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans. The nanoparticles demonstrated antimicrobial activity against all of these pathogenic microorganisms. Additionally, the silver nanoparticles were evaluated for their combined effects with the commercial antibiotics lincomycin, oleandomycin, vancomycin, novobiocin, penicillin G, and rifampicin against these pathogenic microorganisms. These results indicated that the combination of antibiotics with biosynthesized silver nanoparticles enhanced the antimicrobial effects of antibiotics. Therefore, the current study is a demonstration of an efficient biological synthesis of silver nanoparticles by B. frigoritolerans DC2 and its effect on the enhancement of the antimicrobial efficacy of well-known commercial antibiotics.

  3. Automated installation for atomic emission determination of gold, silver and platinum group metals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zayakina, S.B.; Anoshin, G.N.; Gerasimov, P.A.; Smirnov, A.V.

    1999-01-01

    An automated installation for the direct atomic emission determination of silver, gold and platinum-group metals (Ru) in geological and geochemical materials with software for automated data acquisition and handling is designed and developed. The installation consists of a DFS-458 diffraction spectrograph, a MAES-10 multichannel analyzer of emission spectra, and a dual-jet plasmatron. A library of spectral lines of almost all elements excited in the dual-jet plasmatron is complied [ru

  4. Influence of silver nanoparticles on relaxation processes and efficiency of dipole – dipole energy transfer between dye molecules in polymethylmethacrylate films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bryukhanov, V V; Borkunov, R Yu; Tsarkov, M V [Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, Kaliningrad (Russian Federation); Konstantinova, E I; Slezhkin, V A [Kaliningrad State Technical University, Kaliningrad (Russian Federation)

    2015-10-31

    The fluorescence and phosphorescence of dyes in thin polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) films in the presence of ablated silver nanoparticles has been investigated in a wide temperature range by methods of femtosecond and picosecond laser photoexcitation. The fluorescence and phosphorescence times, as well as spectral and kinetic characteristics of rhodamine 6G (R6G) molecules in PMMA films are measured in a temperature range of 80 – 330 K. The temperature quenching activation energy of the fluorescence of R6G molecules in the presence of ablated silver nanoparticles is found. The vibrational relaxation rate of R6G in PMMA films is estimated, the efficiency of the dipole – dipole electron energy transfer between R6G and brilliant green molecules (enhanced by plasmonic interaction with ablated silver nanoparticles) is analysed, and the constants of this energy transfer are determined. (nanophotonics)

  5. Influence of silver nanoparticles on relaxation processes and efficiency of dipole – dipole energy transfer between dye molecules in polymethylmethacrylate films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bryukhanov, V V; Borkunov, R Yu; Tsarkov, M V; Konstantinova, E I; Slezhkin, V A

    2015-01-01

    The fluorescence and phosphorescence of dyes in thin polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) films in the presence of ablated silver nanoparticles has been investigated in a wide temperature range by methods of femtosecond and picosecond laser photoexcitation. The fluorescence and phosphorescence times, as well as spectral and kinetic characteristics of rhodamine 6G (R6G) molecules in PMMA films are measured in a temperature range of 80 – 330 K. The temperature quenching activation energy of the fluorescence of R6G molecules in the presence of ablated silver nanoparticles is found. The vibrational relaxation rate of R6G in PMMA films is estimated, the efficiency of the dipole – dipole electron energy transfer between R6G and brilliant green molecules (enhanced by plasmonic interaction with ablated silver nanoparticles) is analysed, and the constants of this energy transfer are determined. (nanophotonics)

  6. DNA-Protected Silver Clusters for Nanophotonics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elisabeth Gwinn

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available DNA-protected silver clusters (AgN-DNA possess unique fluorescence properties that depend on the specific DNA template that stabilizes the cluster. They exhibit peak emission wavelengths that range across the visible and near-IR spectrum. This wide color palette, combined with low toxicity, high fluorescence quantum yields of some clusters, low synthesis costs, small cluster sizes and compatibility with DNA are enabling many applications that employ AgN-DNA. Here we review what is known about the underlying composition and structure of AgN-DNA, and how these relate to the optical properties of these fascinating, hybrid biomolecule-metal cluster nanomaterials. We place AgN-DNA in the general context of ligand-stabilized metal clusters and compare their properties to those of other noble metal clusters stabilized by small molecule ligands. The methods used to isolate pure AgN-DNA for analysis of composition and for studies of solution and single-emitter optical properties are discussed. We give a brief overview of structurally sensitive chiroptical studies, both theoretical and experimental, and review experiments on bringing silver clusters of distinct size and color into nanoscale DNA assemblies. Progress towards using DNA scaffolds to assemble multi-cluster arrays is also reviewed.

  7. The fabrication of highly ordered silver nanodot patterns by platinum assisted nanoimprint lithography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoo, Hae-Wook; Jung, Jin-Mi; Lee, Su-kyung; Jung, Hee-Tae

    2011-01-01

    Silver has been widely used for optical sensing and imaging applications which benefit from localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) in a nanoscale configuration. Many attempts have been made to fabricate and control silver nanostructures in order to improve the high performance in sensing and other applications. However, a fatal mechanical weakness of silver and a lack of durability in oxygen-rich conditions have disrupted the manufacturing of reproducible nanostructures by the top-down lithography approach. In this study, we suggest a steady fabrication strategy to obtain highly ordered silver nanopatterns that are able to provide tunable LSPR characteristics. By using a protecting layer of platinum on a silver surface in the lithography process, we successfully obtained large-area (2.7 x 2.7 mm 2 ) silver nanopatterns with high reproducibility. This large-area silver nanopattern was capable of enhancing the low concentration of a Cy3 fluorescence signal (∼10 -10 M) which was labeled with DNA oligomers.

  8. Study of interaction between tryptophan, tyrosine, and phenylalanine separately with silver nanoparticles by fluorescence quenching method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roy, S.; Das, T.K.

    2015-01-01

    Using the spectroscopic method, the individual interaction of the three biochemically important amino acids, which are constituents of protein, namely, tryptophan, tyrosine, and phenylalanine with biologically synthesized silver nanoparticles has been investigated. The obtained UV-Vis spectra show the formation of ground-state complexes between tryptophan, tyrosine, and phenylalanine with silver nanoparticles. Silver nanoparticles possess the ability to quench the intrinsic fluorescence of the aforesaid amino acids by a dynamic quenching process. The binding constant, number of binding sites, and corresponding thermodynamic parameters (ΔH, ΔS, and ΔG) based on the interaction system were calculated for 293, 303, and 313 K. In the case of tryptophan and phenylalanine, with increase in temperature, the binding constant K was found to decrease; conversely, it was found to increase with increase in temperature in the case of tyrosine. The thermodynamic results revealed that the binding process was spontaneous; hydrogen bonding and van der Waals interaction were the predominant forces responsible for the complex stabilization in the case of tryptophan and phenylalanine, respectively, whereas in the case of tyrosine, hydrophobic interaction was the sole force conferring stability. Moreover, the Förster non-radiation energy transfer theory has been applied to calculate the average binding distance among the above amino acids and silver nanoparticles. The results show a binding distance of <7 nm, which ensures that energy transfer does occur between the said amino acids and silver nanoparticles. (authors)

  9. Highly selective ratiometric fluorescent detection of Fe{sup 3+} with a polyphenyl derivative

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Zhan-Xian, E-mail: lizx@zzu.edu.cn [The College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001 (China); Zhou, Wan; Zhang, Li-Feng; Yuan, Rui-Li; Liu, Xing-Jiang; Wei, Liu-He [The College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001 (China); Yu, Ming-Ming, E-mail: yumm@zzu.edu.cn [The College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001 (China)

    2013-04-15

    Compared with other fluorescent probes, ratiometric fluorescence responses are more attractive because the ratio between the two emission intensities can be used to measure the analyte concentration and provide a built-in correction for environmental effects. A highly selective and sensitive ratiometric fluorescent probe for Fe{sup 3+} was synthesized, which exhibits an enhanced fluorescence with a large red-shift in emission from 361 to 455 nm upon addition of Fe{sup 3+}. The red-shift of the emission peak can be ascribed to the reformed orbital, and the increase of emission intensity may be ascribed to the inhibition of the rotation of C–C bonds between each two aromatic rings. -- Graphical abstract: A highly selective and sensitive ratiometric fluorescent probe for Fe{sup 3+} was synthesized, which exhibits an enhanced fluorescence with a large red-shift in emission from 361 to 455 nm upon addition of Fe{sup 3+}. Highlights: ► A ratiometric fluorescent probe for Fe{sup 3+} was synthesized. ► The probe exhibits an enhanced fluorescence with a red-shift upon addition of Fe{sup 3+}. ► Inhibition of the rotation of C–C bonds was possible detection mechanism for Fe{sup 3+}.

  10. Anomalous characteristics of silver atoms in organic matrices at low temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hase, Hirotomo; Matsuura, Kaoru; Miyatake, Yoko; Arai, Shigeyoshi; Taguti, Masamitsu; Hoshino, Mikio

    1998-01-01

    Silver atoms (Ag 0 ) were produced via electron capture of Ag + ions which were contained in solid solutions of ethanol and 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (MTHF) and irradiated with γ-rays at 77 K. Steady state fluorescence spectra, steady state fluorescence excitation spectra and 2-dimensional time resolved fluorescence spectra were measured for Ag 0 in these solid solutions. Emission bands of Ag 0 in EtOH and MTHF glasses consist of E 1 -band at 500 nm and E 2 -band at 580 nm. E 2 -band grows at about 500 ns-1 μs and is attributed to (Ag 0 ·L n ) * exciplex where L denotes legend molecule. E 1 -band is attributed to (Ag 0 ·Ag + ) * exciplex. (author)

  11. Injectable silver nanosensors: in vivo dosimetry for external beam radiotherapy using positron emission tomography

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Anders Nymark; Rydhög, J. S.; Søndergaard, Rikke Vicki

    2016-01-01

    Development of safe and efficient radiotherapy routines requires quantification of the delivered absorbed dose to the cancer tissue in individual patients. In vivo dosimetry can provide accurate information about the absorbed dose delivered during treatment. In the current study, a novel silver......-nanosensor formulation based on poly(vinylpyrrolidinone)-coated silver nanoparticles formulated in a gelation matrix composed of sucrose acetate isobutyrate has been developed for use as an in vivo dosimeter for external beam radiotherapy. In situ photonuclear reactions trigger the formation of radioactive (106)Ag......, which enables post treatment verification of the delivered dose using positron emission tomography imaging. The silver-nanosensor was investigated in a tissue equivalent thorax phantom using clinical settings and workflow for both standard fractionated radiotherapy (2 Gy) and stereotactic radiotherapy...

  12. X-ray Fluorescence analytical criteria to assess the fineness of ancient silver coins: Application on Ptolemaic coinage

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kantarelou, Vasiliki, E-mail: kantarelou@inp.demokritos.gr [Institute of Nuclear Physics, NCSR ' Demokritos' , Aghia Paraskevi Attikis, 153 10 (Greece); Ager, Francisco Jose, E-mail: fjager@us.es [Departamento de Fisica Aplicada I, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla (Spain); Centro Nacional de Aceleradores, Avda. Thomas A. Edison, 7. E-41092 Sevilla (Spain); Eugenidou, Despoina [Numismatic Museum, Athens (NMA), Athens (Greece); Chaves, Francisca [Departamento de Prehistoria y Arqueologia, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla (Spain); Andreou, Alexandros; Kontou, Elena; Katsikosta, Niki [Numismatic Museum, Athens (NMA), Athens (Greece); Respaldiza, Miguel Angel [Departamento de Fisica Aplicada I, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla (Spain); Serafin, Patrizia [Dipartimento di Beni Culturali, Musica e Spettacolo, Universita degli Studi di Roma ' Tor Vergata' , Roma (Italy); Sokaras, Dimosthenis [Institute of Nuclear Physics, NCSR ' Demokritos' , Aghia Paraskevi Attikis, 153 10 (Greece); Zarkadas, Charalambos [PANalytical B.V., 7600 AA Almelo (Netherlands); Polikreti, Kyriaki, E-mail: kpolykreti@culture.gr [Hellenic Ministry of Culture, Directorate of Conservation of Ancient and Modern Monuments, Dept. of Applied Research, Pireos 81, 105 53, Athens (Greece); Karydas, Andreas Germanos, E-mail: A.Karydas@iaea.org [Institute of Nuclear Physics, NCSR ' Demokritos' , Aghia Paraskevi Attikis, 153 10 (Greece); Nuclear Spectrometry and Applications Laboratory, IAEA, Seibersdorf (Austria)

    2011-09-15

    The application of X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) analysis in a non-invasive manner on ancient silver coins may not provide reliable bulk compositional data due to possible presence of a surface, silver enriched layer. The present work proposes a set of three complementary analytical methodologies to assess and improve the reliability of XRF data in such cases: a) comparison of XRF data on original and cleaned micro-spots on coin surface, b) Ag K/L ratio test and c) comparison of experimental and theoretically simulated intensities of the Rayleigh characteristic radiation emitted from the anode. The proposed methodology was applied on 82 silver coins from the collection of Ioannes Demetriou, donated to the Numismatic Museum of Athens in the 1890s. The coins originate from different mints and are attributed to the first five Ptolemaic kings' reign (321-180 B.C.). They were analyzed in-situ by using a milli-probe XRF spectrometer. The presence of an Ag-enriched layer was excluded for the majority of them. The silver fineness was found to be high, with very low concentrations of copper and lead. The composition data provide important information about possible sources of silver during the Ptolemaic period and indications of a gradual coinage debasement after 270 B.C. due to economic or technical reasons.

  13. X-ray Fluorescence analytical criteria to assess the fineness of ancient silver coins: Application on Ptolemaic coinage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kantarelou, Vasiliki; Ager, Francisco José; Eugenidou, Despoina; Chaves, Francisca; Andreou, Alexandros; Kontou, Elena; Katsikosta, Niki; Respaldiza, Miguel Angel; Serafin, Patrizia; Sokaras, Dimosthenis; Zarkadas, Charalambos; Polikreti, Kyriaki; Karydas, Andreas Germanos

    2011-01-01

    The application of X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) analysis in a non-invasive manner on ancient silver coins may not provide reliable bulk compositional data due to possible presence of a surface, silver enriched layer. The present work proposes a set of three complementary analytical methodologies to assess and improve the reliability of XRF data in such cases: a) comparison of XRF data on original and cleaned micro-spots on coin surface, b) Ag K/L ratio test and c) comparison of experimental and theoretically simulated intensities of the Rayleigh characteristic radiation emitted from the anode. The proposed methodology was applied on 82 silver coins from the collection of Ioannes Demetriou, donated to the Numismatic Museum of Athens in the 1890s. The coins originate from different mints and are attributed to the first five Ptolemaic kings' reign (321–180 B.C.). They were analyzed in-situ by using a milli-probe XRF spectrometer. The presence of an Ag-enriched layer was excluded for the majority of them. The silver fineness was found to be high, with very low concentrations of copper and lead. The composition data provide important information about possible sources of silver during the Ptolemaic period and indications of a gradual coinage debasement after 270 B.C. due to economic or technical reasons.

  14. Organic light-emitting diodes with a spacer enhanced exciplex emission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Fei; Chen, Rui; Sun, Handong; Wei Sun, Xiao

    2014-04-01

    By introducing a spacer molecule into the blended exciplex emissive layer, the performance of the bulk heterojunction exciplex organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) was improved dramatically; the maximum luminous efficiency was enhanced by about 22% from 7.9 cd/A to 9.7 cd/A, and the luminous efficiency drop was reduced by 28% at 400 mA/cm2. Besides the suppressed annihilation of exciton, the time-resolved photoluminescence measurements indicated that the spacer enhanced the delayed fluorescence through increasing the backward intersystem crossing rate from the triplet to singlet exciplex state. This method is useful for developing high performance exciplex OLEDs.

  15. Fluorescence enhancement by Au nanostructures: nanoshells and nanorods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bardhan, Rizia; Grady, Nathaniel K; Cole, Joseph R; Joshi, Amit; Halas, Naomi J

    2009-03-24

    Metallic nanoparticles influence the quantum yield and lifetime of adjacent fluorophores in a manner dependent on the properties of the nanostructure. Here we directly compare the fluorescence enhancement of the near-infrared fluorophore IR800 by Au nanoshells (NSs) and Au nanorods (NRs), where human serum albumin (HSA) serves as a spacer layer between the nanoparticle and the fluorophore. Our measurements reveal that the quantum yield of IR800 is enhanced from approximately 7% as an isolated fluorophore to 86% in a NSs-HSA-IR800 complex and 74% in a NRs-HSA-IR800 complex. This dramatic increase in fluorescence shows tremendous potential for contrast enhancement in fluorescence-based bioimaging.

  16. Nondestructive analysis of silver in gold foil using synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence spectrometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kasamatsu, Masaaki; Suzuki, Yasuhiro; Suzuki, Shinichi; Nakanishi, Toshio; Shimoda, Osamu; Nishiwaki, Yoshinori; Miyamoto, Naoki

    2005-01-01

    Small particles of gold foil detached from an indoor decoration might be important evidence to associate a suspect with a crime scene. We have investigated the application of elemental analysis using synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence spectrometry to discriminate small particles of gold foil. Eight kinds of gold foil samples collected in Japan were used in the experiments. As a result of synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, only two elements, gold and silver, were detected from all gold foil samples. The intensity ratios of AgK α /AuL α showed good correlation with the content ratios of Ag/Au. The variation of intensity ratio within a same sample was sufficiently small compared with those of different samples. Therefore the comparison of this intensity ratio can be an effective method to discriminate small particles originating from different types of gold foil. (author)

  17. Synthesis of silver/silver chloride/graphene oxide composite and its surface-enhanced Raman scattering activity and self-cleaning property

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Nan; Fei, Xiao; Cheng, Xiaonong; Yang, Juan

    2017-09-01

    Recently, silver nanoparticles decorated with graphene and graphene oxide (GO) sheets can be employed as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates. However, their SERS activity on macromolecular compound detection is all one-time process. In order to solve this issue and decrease the cost of routine SERS detection, silver/silver chloride (Ag/AgCl) with photocatalytic activity under visible light was introduced. In this study, a novel, simple and clean approach is carried out for synthesis of the Ag/AgCl/GO composite. The Ag/AgCl colloidal solution is obtained by hydrothermal method and then mixed with GO solution to obtain the Ag/AgCl/GO composite using a facile electrostatic self-assembly method. Results showed that the Ag/AgCl/GO composite has the optimized SERS activity to Rhodamine 6G molecules with the maximum enhancement factor value of 3.8×107. Furthermore, the Ag/AgCl particles with high efficient and stable photocatalytic activity under visible light lead to an outstanding self-cleaning property of the Ag/AgCl/GO composite.

  18. Using a silver-enhanced microarray sandwich structure to improve SERS sensitivity for protein detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, Xuefang; Yan, Yuerong; Jiang, Guoqing; Adkins, Jason; Shi, Jian; Jiang, Guomin; Tian, Shu

    2014-03-01

    A simple and sensitive method, based on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), for immunoassay and label-free protein detection is reported. A series of bowl-shaped silver cavity arrays were fabricated by electrodeposition using a self-assembled polystyrene spheres template. The reflection spectra of these cavity arrays were recorded as a function of film thickness, and then correlated with SERS enhancement using sodium thiophenolate as the probe molecule. The results reveal that SERS enhancement can be maximized when the frequency of both the incident laser and the Raman scattering approach the frequency of the localized surface plasmon resonance. The optimized array was then used as the bottom layer of a silver nanoparticle-protein-bowl-shaped silver cavity array sandwich. The second layer of silver was introduced by the interactions between the proteins in the middle layer of the sandwich architecture and silver nanoparticles. Human IgG bound to the surface of this microcavity array can retain its recognition function. With the Raman reporter molecules labeled on the antibody, a detection limit down to 0.1 ng mL(-1) for human IgG is easily achieved. Furthermore, the SERS spectra of label-free proteins (catalase, cytochrome C, avidin and lysozyme) from the assembled sandwich have excellent reproducibility and high quality. The results reveal that the proposed approach has potential for use in qualitative and quantitative detection of biomolecules.

  19. Optical radiation emissions from compact fluorescent lamps

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khazova, M.; O'Hagan, J.B.

    2008-01-01

    There is a drive to energy efficiency to mitigate climate change. To meet this challenge, the UK Government has proposed phasing out incandescent lamps by the end of 2011 and replacing them with energy efficient fluorescent lighting, including compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) with integrated ballasts. This paper presents a summary of an assessment conducted by the Health Protection Agency in March 2008 to evaluate the optical radiation emissions of CFLs currently available in the UK consumer market. The study concluded that the UV emissions from a significant percentage of the tested CFLs with single envelopes may result in foreseeable overexposure of the skin when these lamps are used in desk or task lighting applications. The optical output of all tested CFLs, in addition to high-frequency modulation, had a 100-Hz envelope with modulation in excess of 15%. This degree of modulation may be linked to a number of adverse effects. (authors)

  20. Thin film beam splitter multiple short pulse generation for enhanced Ni-like Ag x-ray laser emission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cojocaru, Gabriel V; Ungureanu, Razvan G; Banici, Romeo A; Ursescu, Daniel; Delmas, Olivier; Pittman, Moana; Guilbaud, Olivier; Kazamias, Sophie; Cassou, Kevin; Demailly, Julien; Neveu, Olivier; Baynard, Elsa; Ros, David

    2014-04-15

    An alternative, novel multiple pulse generation scheme was implemented directly after the optical compressor output of an x-ray pump laser. The new method uses a polarization sensitive thin film beam splitter and a half-wavelength wave plate for tuning the energy ratio in the multiple short pulses. Based on this method, an extensive study was made of the running parameters for a grazing incidence pumped silver x-ray laser (XRL) pumped with a long pulse of 145 mJ in 6 ns at 532 nm and up to 1.45 J in few picoseconds at 810 nm. Fivefold enhancement in the emission of the silver XRL was demonstrated using the new pump method.

  1. Using silicon-coated gold nanoparticles to enhance the fluorescence of CdTe quantum dot and improve the sensing ability of mercury (II)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Jian; Chang, Hui; Li, Jian-Jun; Li, Xin; Zhao, Jun-Wu

    2018-01-01

    The effect of silicon-coated gold nanoparticles with different gold core diameter and silica shell thickness on the fluorescence emission of CdTe quantum dots (QDs) was investigated. For gold nanoparticles with a diameter of 15 nm, silica coating can only results in fluorescence recover of the bare gold nanoparticle-induced quenching of QDs. However, when the size of gold nanoparticle is increased to 60 nm, fluorescence enhancement of the QDs could be obtained by silica coating. Because of the isolation of the silica shell-reduced quenching effect and local electric field effect, the fluorescence of QDs gets intense firstly and then decreases. The maximum fluorescence enhancement takes place as the silica shell has a thickness of 30 nm. This enhanced fluorescence from silicon-coated gold nanoparticles is demonstrated for sensing of Hg2 +. Under optimal conditions, the enhanced fluorescence intensity decreases linearly with the concentration of Hg2 + ranging from 0 to 200 ng/mL. The limit of detection for Hg2 + is 1.25 ng/mL. Interference test and real samples detection indicate that the influence from other metal ions could be neglected, and the Hg2 + could be specifically detected.

  2. X-ray fluorescence investigation of gilded and enamelled silver: The case study of four medieval processional crosses from central Italy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferretti, Marco; Polese, Claudia; Roldán García, Clodoaldo

    2013-05-01

    The presence of multilayered structures is common in such cultural artefacts as paintings, corroded metals, objects that underwent a whatever form of surface qualification. One of the most usual and complete ways to investigate such structures is observing a cross section, which requires sampling. There are however situations where at least part of the stratigraphic information can be derived non-destructively: the literature shows that X-ray fluorescence (XRF) has frequently been used, in recent years, for this purpose, with special regard to paintings and gilded metals. Aim of this paper is to further explore the suitability of XRF-based techniques to characterise multilayered structures. This is achieved by introducing improvements, with respect to previous works, in both equipment and data processing. The method, that has been developed for gilded and enamelled silver artefacts, relies on optimum excitation conditions provided for silver and on the relationship existing between the ratio AgKα/AgKβ of its fluorescence lines and the gilding thickness itself. The coating (gilding or enamel) thickness is derived by verifying the condition CKα,Ag = CKβ,Ag, where CKα,Ag and CKβ,Ag are the mass fractions of silver calculated on the lines AgKα and AgKβ, respectively. The calculations are carried out by PyMCA, a Fundamental Parameters code that implements the analysis of multilayered samples. As a case study we investigated in situ the four processional crosses of Borbona, Sant'Elpidio, Rosciolo and Forcella, made of a wood core with attached gilt and embossed silver sheets and enamelled silver plates. The analyses allowed to distinguish ancient restorations from original parts, to characterise the enamels and find their composition consistent with the dates of manufacturing and, as regards the cross of Rosciolo, to hypothesize the contribution of different "hands" in its manufacturing.

  3. Potential mercury emissions from fluorescent lamps production and obsolescence in mainland China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Quanyin; Li, Jinhui

    2016-01-01

    The use of fluorescent lamps has expanded rapidly all over the world in recent years, because of their energy-saving capability. Consequently, however, mercury emissions from production, breakage, and discard of the lamps are drawing increasing concern from the public. This article focuses on evaluating the amount of mercury used for fluorescent lamp production, as well as the potential mercury emissions during production and breakage, in mainland China. It is expected to provide a comprehensive understanding about the risks present in the mercury from fluorescent lamps, and to know about the impacts of the policies on fluorescent lamps after their implementation. It is estimated that, in 2020, mercury consumption will be about 11.30-15.69 tonnes, a significant reduction of 34.9%-37.4% from that used in 2013, owing to improvement in mercury dosing dosage technology and tighter limitations on mercury content in fluorescent lamps. With these improvements, the amount of mercury remaining in fluorescent lamps and released during production is estimated to be 10.71-14.86 and 0.59-0.83 tonnes, respectively; the mercury released from waste fluorescent lamps is estimated to be about 5.37-7.59 tonnes. Also, a significant reduction to the mercury emission can be expected when a collection and treatment system is well established and conducted in the future. © The Author(s) 2015.

  4. Ultratrace analysis of transuranic actinides by laser-induced fluorescence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, S.M.

    1983-10-31

    Ultratrace quantities of transuranic actinides are detected indirectly by their effect on the fluorescent emissions of a preselected fluorescent species. Transuranic actinides in a sample are coprecipitated with a host lattice material containing at least one preselected fluorescent species. The actinide either quenches or enhances the laser-induced fluorescence of the preselected fluorescent species. The degree of enhancement or quenching is quantitatively related to the concentration of actinide in the sample.

  5. Light emitting diode excitation emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hart, Sean J; JiJi, Renée D

    2002-12-01

    An excitation emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence instrument has been developed using a linear array of light emitting diodes (LED). The wavelengths covered extend from the upper UV through the visible spectrum: 370-640 nm. Using an LED array to excite fluorescence emission at multiple excitation wavelengths is a low-cost alternative to an expensive high power lamp and imaging spectrograph. The LED-EEM system is a departure from other EEM spectroscopy systems in that LEDs often have broad excitation ranges which may overlap with neighboring channels. The LED array can be considered a hybrid between a spectroscopic and sensor system, as the broad LED excitation range produces a partially selective optical measurement. The instrument has been tested and characterized using fluorescent dyes: limits of detection (LOD) for 9,10-bis(phenylethynyl)-anthracene and rhodamine B were in the mid parts-per-trillion range; detection limits for the other compounds were in the low parts-per-billion range (LED-EEMs were analyzed using parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC), which allowed the mathematical resolution of the individual contributions of the mono- and dianion fluorescein tautomers a priori. Correct identification and quantitation of six fluorescent dyes in two to six component mixtures (concentrations between 12.5 and 500 ppb) has been achieved with root mean squared errors of prediction (RMSEP) of less than 4.0 ppb for all components.

  6. Optimization of silver-dielectric-silver nanoshell for sensing applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shirzaditabar, Farzad; Saliminasab, Maryam

    2013-01-01

    In this paper, resonance light scattering (RLS) properties of a silver-dielectric-silver nanoshell, based on quasi-static approach and plasmon hybridization theory, are investigated. Scattering spectrum of silver-dielectric-silver nanoshell has two intense and clearly separated RLS peaks and provides a potential for biosensing based on surface plasmon resonance and surface-enhanced Raman scattering. The two RLS peaks in silver-dielectric-silver nanoshell are optimized by tuning the geometrical dimensions. In addition, the optimal geometry is discussed to obtain the high sensitivity of silver-dielectric-silver nanoshell. As the silver core radius increases, the sensitivity of silver-dielectric-silver nanoshell decreases whereas increasing the middle dielectric thickness increases the sensitivity of silver-dielectric-silver nanoshell

  7. Analysis for iodide in groundwater by x-ray fluorescence spectrometry after collection as silver iodide on activated charcoal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Howe, P.T.

    1980-01-01

    The report describes the determination of microgram quantities of iodide in water by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. The iodide is concentrated by precipitation as silver iodide on activated charcoal. If a 60-mL sample is available, a concentration of 0.12 mg/L can be detected. Precision (2σ) at the 1-mg/L level is +- 0.08 mg/L. (auth)

  8. In situ fluorescence activation of DNA-silver nanoclusters as a label-free and general strategy for cell nucleus imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Duo; Qiao, Zhenzhen; Yu, Yanru; Tang, Jinlu; He, Xiaoxiao; Shi, Hui; Ye, Xiaosheng; Lei, Yanli; Wang, Kemin

    2018-01-25

    A facile, general and turn-on nucleus imaging strategy was first developed based on in situ fluorescence activation of C-rich dark silver nanoclusters by G-rich telomeres. After a simple incubation without washing, nanoclusters could selectively stain the nucleus with intense red luminescence, which was confirmed using fixed/living cells and several cell lines.

  9. X-ray emission spectroscopy. X-ray fluorescence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Despujols, J.

    1992-01-01

    Principles of X-ray emission spectrometry are first recalled, then wave-length dispersive and energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer are described. They are essentially designed for qualitative and quantitative analysis of elements (Z>10). Sample preparation, calibration, corrections, interferences, accuracy are reviewed. Examples of use in different industries are given. (71 refs.)

  10. Facile Synthesis of Micron-Sized Hollow Silver Spheres as Substrates for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lixin Xia

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available A well-designed type of micron-sized hollow silver sphere was successfully synthesized by a simple hard-template method to be used as substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering. 4 Å molecular sieves were employed as a removable solid template. [Ag(NH32]+ was absorbed as the precursor on the surface of the molecular sieve. Formaldehyde was selected as a reducing agent to reduce [Ag(NH32]+, resulting in the formation of a micron-sized silver shell on the surface of the 4 Å molecular sieves. The micron-sized hollow silver spheres were obtained by removing the molecular sieve template. SEM and XRD were used to characterize the structure of the micron-sized hollow silver spheres. The as-prepared micro-silver spheres exhibited robust SERS activity in the presence of adsorbed 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA with excitation at 632.8 nm, and the enhancement factor reached ~1.5 × 106. This synthetic process represents a promising method for preparing various hollow metal nanoparticles.

  11. Solvent-dependent fluorescence enhancement and piezochromism of a carbazole-substituted naphthopyran

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Lihui; Wang, Aixia [Faculty of Chemistry, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024 (China); Wang, Guang, E-mail: wangg923@nenu.edu.cn [Faculty of Chemistry, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024 (China); Munyentwari, Alexis [Faculty of Chemistry, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024 (China); Zhou, Yihan, E-mail: yhzhou@ciac.ac.cn [National Analytical Research Center of Electrochemistry and Spectroscopy, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022 (China)

    2015-09-15

    A novel carbazole-substituted naphthopyran, 3,3-bis-(4-carbazolylphenyl)-[3H]-naphtho[2,1-b]pyran (CzNP) was designed and synthesized. The new compound exhibited normal photochromism in dichloromethane solution and the UV irradiation did not influence its fluorescence. On the contrary, the fluorescence of CzNP in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) was intensively enhanced to 29 times after 60 min of the UV irradiation and this enhanced fluorescence can be quenched by addition of triethylamine (TEA). The study of enhanced extent of fluorescence of CzNP in solvents with different polarities and in mixed solvents demonstrated that the enhanced fluorescence is dependent on the polarity of solvents. The larger the polarity of solvent was, the stronger was the fluorescence of CzNP. CzNP also exhibited piezochromic performance and the pressure led to the cleavage of the C–O bond of pyran ring. - Highlights: • A carbazole-substituted photochromic naphthopyran was designed and synthesized. • The fluorescence was enhanced under the existence of DMF and UV irradiation. • The polarity of solvent was the dominating factor to affect the fluorescence. • The new compound also displayed piezochromic performance.

  12. Sandwich type plasmonic platform for MEF using silver fractals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Raut, Sangram L.; Rich, Ryan; Shtoyko, Tanya

    2015-01-01

    was studied with the N-methyl-azadioxatriangulenium chloride salt (Me-ADOTA·Cl) in PVA films made from 0.2% PVA (w/v) solution spin-coated on a clean glass coverslip. The Plasmonic Platforms (PP) were assembled by pressing together silver fractals on one glass slide and a separate glass coverslip spin-coated...... with a uniform Me-ADOTA·Cl in PVA film. In addition, we also tested ADOTA labeled human serum albumin (HSA) deposited on a glass slide for potential PP bioassay applications. Using the new PP, we could achieve more than a 20-fold fluorescence enhancement (bright spots) accompanied by a decrease...... of PP can be a convenient approach for constructing assays utilizing metal enhanced fluorescence (MEF) without the need for depositing the material directly on metal structures platforms....

  13. Ultraviolet continuum and H2 fluorescent emission in Herbig-Haro objects 43 and 47

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schwartz, R.D.

    1983-01-01

    The results of International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) short-wavelength spectra of the low-excitation Herbig-Haro objects HH 43 and HH 47 are reported. In HH 43 a number of emission lines in the Lyman band of H 2 from the excited state 1 μ + /sub u/, #betta#' = 1, J' = 4 are observed. The lines are produced by fluorescence from the H Lyα line which pumps the lower state 1 μ + /sub g/, #betta#'' = 2.J'' = 5 which in turn is excited by a low-velocity shock wave. No evidence of emission from highly ionized gas is present in the UV spectra. Both objects exhibit a UV continuum which peaks in the vicinity of 1500 A and which is probably caused by hydrogen two-photon emission enhanced by collisional excitation in a low-velocity shock

  14. Hairpin DNA-Templated Silver Nanoclusters as Novel Beacons in Strand Displacement Amplification for MicroRNA Detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jingpu; Li, Chao; Zhi, Xiao; Ramón, Gabriel Alfranca; Liu, Yanlei; Zhang, Chunlei; Pan, Fei; Cui, Daxiang

    2016-01-19

    MicroRNA (miRNA) biomarkers display great potential for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. The development of rapid and specific methods for miRNA detection has become a hotspot. Herein, hairpin DNA-templated silver nanoclusters (AgNCs/HpDNA) were prepared and integrated into strand-displacement amplification (SDA) as a novel beacon for miRNA detection. The light-up platform was established based on guanine (G)-rich fluorescence enhancement that essentially converted the excitation/emission pair of AgNCs/HpDNAs from a shorter wavelength to a longer wavelength, and then achieved fluorescent enhancement at longer wavelength. On the basis of the validation of the method, the single and duplex detection were conducted in two plasma biomarkers (miR-16-5p and miR-19b-3p) for the diagnosis of gastric cancer. The probe (AgNCs/RED 16(7s)C) utilized for miR-16-5p detection adopted a better conformation with high specificity to recognize single-base mismatches by producing dramatically opposite signals (increase or decrease at 580 nm ex/640 nm em) while the probe (AgNCs/GRE 19b(5s)C) for miR-19b-3p generated dual signals (increase at 490 nm ex/570 nm em and decrease at 430 nm ex/530 nm em) with bright fluorescence in one reaction during the amplification, but unexpectedly was partially digested. This is for the first time to allow the generation of enhanced fluorescent AgNCs and the target recognition integrated into a single process, which offers great opportunity for specific miRNA detection in an easy and rapid way.

  15. Silver Flakes and Silver Dendrites for Hybrid Electrically Conductive Adhesives with Enhanced Conductivity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Hongru; Li, Zhuo; Tian, Xun; Yan, Shaocun; Li, Zhe; Guo, Xuhong; Ma, Yanqing; Ma, Lei

    2018-03-01

    Silver dendrites were prepared by a facile replacement reaction between silver nitrate and zinc microparticles of 20 μm in size. The influence of reactant molar ratio, reaction solution volume, silver nitrate concentration, and reaction time on the morphology of dendrites was investigated systematically. It was found that uniform tree-like silver structures are synthesized under the optimal conditions. Their structure can be described as a trunk, symmetrical branches, and leaves, which length scales of 5-10, 1-2 μm, and 100-300 nm, respectively. All features were systematically characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM, and x-ray powder diffraction. A hybrid fillers system using silver flakes and dendrites as electrically conductive adhesives (ECAs) exhibited excellent overall performance. This good conductivity can be attributed mainly to the synergy between the silver microflakes (5-20 μm sized irregular sheet structures) and dendrites, allowing more conductive pathways to be formed between the fillers. In order to further optimize the overall electrical conductivity, various mixtures of silver microflakes and silver dendrites were tested in ECAs, with results indicating that the highest conductivity was shown when the amounts of silver microflakes, silver dendrites and the polymer matrix were 69.4 wt.% (20.82 vol.%), 0.6 wt.% (0.18 vol.%), and 30.0 wt.% (79.00 vol.%), respectively. The corresponding mass ratio of silver flakes to silver dendrites was 347:3. The resistivity of ECAs reached as low as 1.7 × 10-4 Ω cm.

  16. Preparation of polymer-rare earth complex using salicylic acid-containing polystyrene and its fluorescence emission property

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gao Baojiao, E-mail: gaobaojiao@126.com [Department of Chemical Engineering, North University of China, Taiyuan 030051 (China); Zhang Wei; Zhang Zhengguo; Lei Qingjuan [Department of Chemical Engineering, North University of China, Taiyuan 030051 (China)

    2012-08-15

    Salicylic acid (SA) was first bonded onto the side chains of polystyrene (PS), obtaining functional macromolecule SAPS. Using the salicylic acid-containing polystyrene as a macromolecular ligand, a polymer-rare earth complex, SAPS-Eu(III), was prepared. The structure of SAPS-Eu(III) was characterized, and the fluorescence properties of SAPS-Eu(III) were mainly investigated. The experimental results show that the complex SAPS-Eu(III) has fine chemical stability because of the bidentate chelating effect of salicylic acid ligand. More important, the ligand SA on the side chains of PS can strongly sensitize the fluorescence emission of the center ion, Eu{sup 3+} ion, and it enables the complex SAPS-Eu(III) to produce the apparent 'Antenna Effect'. In the diluted solution of the functional macromolecule SAPS, the formed complex SAPS-Eu(III) belongs to an intramolecular complex, or an intrachain complex. For the binary intramolecular complex SAPS-Eu(III), the apparent saturated coordination number of SA of SAPS towards Eu{sup 3+} ion is equal to 10, and here the binary intrachain complex SAPS-Eu(III) has the strongest fluorescence emission. On this basis, small-molecule 1,10-phenanthroline (Phen) acting as a co-ligand is added and the ternary complex SAPS-Eu(III)-Phen will be formed. As long as a small amount of Phen is added (in the molar ratio 1:1 (n(Phen):n(Eu))), the coordination of the two kinds of ligands, SA of SAPS and Phen, to Eu{sup 3+} ion will reach complete saturation, and here the fluorescence emission of the ternary complex will be further enhanced via the complementary coordination effect in comparison with that of the binary complex SAPS-Eu(III). - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We prepared the functional polystyrene, SAPS, on whose side chain salicylic acid ligand was bonded. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The polymer-rare earth complex, SAPS-Eu(III), was prepared and a stronger 'antenna effect' was produced. Black

  17. Preparation of polymer–rare earth complex using salicylic acid-containing polystyrene and its fluorescence emission property

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gao Baojiao; Zhang Wei; Zhang Zhengguo; Lei Qingjuan

    2012-01-01

    Salicylic acid (SA) was first bonded onto the side chains of polystyrene (PS), obtaining functional macromolecule SAPS. Using the salicylic acid-containing polystyrene as a macromolecular ligand, a polymer–rare earth complex, SAPS–Eu(III), was prepared. The structure of SAPS–Eu(III) was characterized, and the fluorescence properties of SAPS–Eu(III) were mainly investigated. The experimental results show that the complex SAPS–Eu(III) has fine chemical stability because of the bidentate chelating effect of salicylic acid ligand. More important, the ligand SA on the side chains of PS can strongly sensitize the fluorescence emission of the center ion, Eu 3+ ion, and it enables the complex SAPS–Eu(III) to produce the apparent “Antenna Effect”. In the diluted solution of the functional macromolecule SAPS, the formed complex SAPS–Eu(III) belongs to an intramolecular complex, or an intrachain complex. For the binary intramolecular complex SAPS–Eu(III), the apparent saturated coordination number of SA of SAPS towards Eu 3+ ion is equal to 10, and here the binary intrachain complex SAPS–Eu(III) has the strongest fluorescence emission. On this basis, small-molecule 1,10-phenanthroline (Phen) acting as a co-ligand is added and the ternary complex SAPS–Eu(III)–Phen will be formed. As long as a small amount of Phen is added (in the molar ratio 1:1 (n(Phen):n(Eu))), the coordination of the two kinds of ligands, SA of SAPS and Phen, to Eu 3+ ion will reach complete saturation, and here the fluorescence emission of the ternary complex will be further enhanced via the complementary coordination effect in comparison with that of the binary complex SAPS–Eu(III). - Highlights: ► We prepared the functional polystyrene, SAPS, on whose side chain salicylic acid ligand was bonded. ► The polymer-rare earth complex, SAPS–Eu(III), was prepared and a stronger “antenna effect” was produced. ► For the intramolecular complex SAPS–Eu(III), the apparent

  18. Fabrication of fluorescent silica nanoparticles with aggregation-induced emission luminogens for cell imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Sijie; Lam, Jacky W Y; Tang, Ben Zhong

    2013-01-01

    Fluorescence-based techniques have found wide applications in life science. Among various luminogenic materials, fluorescent nanoparticles have attracted much attention due to their fabulous emission properties and potential applications as sensors. Here, we describe the fabrication of fluorescent silica nanoparticles (FSNPs) containing aggregation-induced emission (AIE) luminogens. By employing surfactant-free sol-gel reaction, FSNPs with uniform size and high surface charge and colloidal stability are generated. The FSNPs emit strong light upon photoexcitation, due to the AIE characteristic of the silole -aggregates in the hybrid nanoparticles. The FSNPs are cytocompatible and can be utilized as fluorescent visualizer for intracellular imaging for HeLa cells.

  19. Excitation-emission spectra and fluorescence quantum yields for fresh and aged biogenic secondary organic aerosols

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Hyun Ji; Laskin, Alexander; Laskin, Julia; Nizkorodov, Sergey A.

    2013-05-10

    Certain biogenic secondary organic aerosols (SOA) become absorbent and fluorescent when exposed to reduced nitrogen compounds such as ammonia, amines and their salts. Fluorescent SOA may potentially be mistaken for biological particles by detection methods relying on fluorescence. This work quantifies the spectral distribution and effective quantum yields of fluorescence of SOA generated from two monoterpenes, limonene and a-pinene, and two different oxidants, ozone (O3) and hydroxyl radical (OH). The SOA was generated in a smog chamber, collected on substrates, and aged by exposure to ~100 ppb ammonia vapor in air saturated with water vapor. Absorption and excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectra of aqueous extracts of aged and control SOA samples were measured, and the effective absorption coefficients and fluorescence quantum yields (~0.005 for 349 nm excitation) were determined from the data. The strongest fluorescence for the limonene-derived SOA was observed for excitation = 420+- 50 nm and emission = 475 +- 38 nm. The window of the strongest fluorescence shifted to excitation = 320 +- 25 nm and emission = 425 +- 38 nm for the a-pinene-derived SOA. Both regions overlap with the excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectra of some of the fluorophores found in primary biological aerosols. Our study suggests that, despite the low quantum yield, the aged SOA particles should have sufficient fluorescence intensities to interfere with the fluorescence detection of common bioaerosols.

  20. High-contrast fluorescence imaging based on the polarization dependence of the fluorescence enhancement using an optical interference mirror slide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yasuda, Mitsuru; Akimoto, Takuo

    2015-01-01

    High-contrast fluorescence imaging using an optical interference mirror (OIM) slide that enhances the fluorescence from a fluorophore located on top of the OIM surface is reported. To enhance the fluorescence and reduce the background light of the OIM, transverse-electric-polarized excitation light was used as incident light, and the transverse-magnetic-polarized fluorescence signal was detected. As a result, an approximate 100-fold improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio was achieved through a 13-fold enhancement of the fluorescence signal and an 8-fold reduction of the background light.

  1. N-acetylcysteine induced quenching of red fluorescent oligonucleotide-stabilized silver nanoclusters and the application in pharmaceutical detection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Xinyi; Lin, Ruoyun; Xu, Zhihan; Huang, Hongduan; Li, Limei; Liu, Feng; Li, Na; Yang, Xiaoda

    2013-01-01

    Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •A new method for nanomolar NAC determination with LOD of 50 nM was reported. •The combined mechanism for NAC quenching with static dominating was suggested. •DNA-Ag NC structure changed with addition of NAC, proved by spectroscopic studies. -- Abstract: In this work, we reported a new, simple and sensitive method for determination of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) based on quenching of the red fluorescence of oligonuleotide-protected silver nanoculsters (Ag NCs) with the quantum yield of 68.3 ± 0.3%. This method was successfully used for the assay of NAC granules presenting a linear range from 100 nM to 1200 nM (LOD of 50 nM) with minimal interferences from potential coexisting substances. It is for the first time that quenching performance of the thiol-containing compound was found to follow a non-linear Stern–Volmer profile, indicative of a complicated quenching mechanism with static quenching dominating, in which DNA-template of Ag NCs was partly replaced by NAC, as elucidated by spectral investigations. This study extended the analytical application of silver nanoclusters as well as provided a more insightful understanding of the quenching mechanism of thiol-compounds on the fluorescence of Ag NCs

  2. Probing DNA-stabilized fluorescent silver nanocluster spectral heterogeneity by time-correlated single photon counting

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Carro, Miguel; Paolucci, Valentina; Hooley, Emma Nicole

    2016-01-01

    DNA-stabilized silver nanoclusters (DNA-AgNCs) are promising fluorophores whose photophysical properties and synthesis procedures have received increased attention in the literature. However, depending on the preparation conditions and the DNA sequence, the DNA-AgNC samples can host a range...... the spectral heterogeneity of other fluorophores, such as luminescent colloidal nanoparticles, and to assess the reproducibility of a synthetic procedure containing an unknown distribution of emissive species....

  3. Light emission from compound eye with conformal fluorescent coating

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martín-Palma, Raúl J.; Miller, Amy E.; Pulsifer, Drew P.; Lakhtakia, Akhlesh

    2015-03-01

    Compound eyes of insects are attractive biological systems for engineered biomimicry as artificial sources of light, given their characteristic wide angular field of view. A blowfly eye was coated with a thin conformal fluorescent film, with the aim of achieving wide field-of-view emission. Experimental results showed that the coated eye emitted visible light and that the intensity showed a weaker angular dependence than a fluorescent thin film deposited on a flat surface.

  4. Enhanced sensitivity of surface plasmon resonance phase-interrogation biosensor by using oblique deposited silver nanorods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, Hung-Yi; Chen, Chih-Chia; Wu, Pin Chieh; Tseng, Ming Lun; Lin, Wen-Chi; Chen, Chih-Wei; Chiang, Hai-Pang

    2014-01-01

    Sensitivity of surface plasmon resonance phase-interrogation biosensor is demonstrated to be enhanced by oblique deposited silver nanorods. Silver nanorods are thermally deposited on silver nanothin film by oblique angle deposition (OAD). The length of the nanorods can be tuned by controlling the deposition parameters of thermal deposition. By measuring the phase difference between the p and s waves of surface plasmon resonance heterodyne interferometer with different wavelength of incident light, we have demonstrated that maximum sensitivity of glucose detection down to 7.1 × 10(-8) refractive index units could be achieved with optimal deposition parameters of silver nanorods.

  5. Chloride ion-dependent surface-enhanced Raman scattering study of biotin on the silver surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Fangfang; Gu Huaimin; Yuan Xiaojuan; Dong Xiao; Lin Yue

    2011-01-01

    In the present paper, the surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technique was employed to study the SERS spectra of biotin molecules formed on the silver surface. The adsorption geometries of biotin molecules on the silver surface were analyzed based on the SERS data. It can be found that most vibration modes show a Raman shift in silver sol after the addition of sodium chloride solution. In addition, The Raman signals of biotin become weaker and weaker with the increase of the concentration of sodium chloride. This may be due to that the interaction between chloride ions and silver particles is stronger than the interaction between biotin molecules and silver particles. When the concentration of sodium chloride in silver colloid is higher than 0.05mol/L, superfluous chloride ions may form an absorption layer so that biotin can not be adsorbed on silver surface directly. The changes in intensity and profile shape in the SERS spectra suggest different adsorption behavior and surface-coverage of biotin on silver surface. The SERS spectra of biotin suggest that the contribution of the charge transfer mechanism to SERS may be dominant.

  6. Donor-acceptor-pair emission characterization in N-B doped fluorescent SiC

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ou, Yiyu; Jokubavicius, Valdas; Kamiyama, Satoshi

    2011-01-01

    In the present work, we investigated donor-acceptor-pair emission in N-B doped fluorescent 6H-SiC, by means of photoluminescence, Raman spectroscopy, and angle-resolved photoluminescence. The photoluminescence results were interpreted by using a band diagram with Fermi-Dirac statistics. It is shown...... intensity in a large emission angle range was achieved from angle-resolved photoluminescence. The results indicate N-B doped fluorescent SiC as a good wavelength converter in white LEDs applications....

  7. Fluorescence excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy of vitiligo skin in vivo (Conference Presentation)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Jianhua; Richer, Vincent; Al Jasser, Mohammed; Zandi, Soodabeh; Kollias, Nikiforos; Kalia, Sunil; Zeng, Haishan; Lui, Harvey

    2016-02-01

    Fluorescence signals depend on the intensity of the exciting light, the absorption properties of the constituent molecules, and the efficiency with which the absorbed photons are converted to fluorescence emission. The optical features and appearance of vitiligo have been explained primarily on the basis of reduced epidermal pigmentation, which results in abnormal white patches on the skin. The objective of this study is to explore the fluorescence properties of vitiligo and its adjacent normal skin using fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectroscopy. Thirty five (35) volunteers with vitiligo were acquired using a double-grating spectrofluorometer with excitation and emission wavelengths of 260-450 nm and 300-700 nm respectively. As expected, the most pronounced difference between the spectra obtained from vitiligo lesions compared to normally pigmented skin was that the overall fluorescence was much higher in vitiligo; these differences increased at shorter wavelengths, thus matching the characteristic spectral absorption of epidermal melanin. When comparing the fluorescence spectra from vitiligo to normal skin we detected three distinct spectral bands centered at 280nm, 310nm, and 335nm. The 280nm band may possibly be related to inflammation, whereas the 335 nm band may arise from collagen or keratin cross links. The source of the 310 nm band is uncertain; it is interesting to note its proximity to the 311 nm UV lamps used for vitiligo phototherapy. These differences are accounted for not only by changes in epidermal pigment content, but also by other optically active cutaneous biomolecules.

  8. Fabrication of porous silver/titania composite hollow spheres with enhanced photocatalytic performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Sa; Halperin, Shakked O.; Wang, Chang-An

    2015-01-01

    Silver/titania composite hollow spheres were first synthesized through an in-situ chemical reaction using functional-grouped carbon spheres as the template in this study. The prepared samples were characterized through an X-ray diffraction, N 2 adsorption–desorption, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and UV–Vis spectrophotometer. The photocatalytic activity of as-prepared samples was evaluated by photocatalytic decolorization of Methyl orange (MO) aqueous solution at ambient temperature under UV light. We found a structure with an optimal Ag:TiO 2 composition that exhibited a photodecomposition rate constant more than twice as high as titania hollow spheres lacking silver, and over three times higher than a commercial photocatalyst. - Highlights: • Ag/silver composites. • Hollow spheres. • Photocatalysis enhancement

  9. In situ investigation of the surface silvering of late Roman coins by combined use of high energy broad-beam and low energy micro-beam X-ray fluorescence techniques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Romano, F.P., E-mail: romanop@lns.infn.it [IBAM, CNR, Via Biblioteca 4, 95124 Catania (Italy); LNS, INFN, Via S. Sofia 62, 95123 Catania (Italy); Garraffo, S. [ITABC, CNR, Via Salaria km 29.300, 00016 Monterotondo, Roma (Italy); Pappalardo, L. [IBAM, CNR, Via Biblioteca 4, 95124 Catania (Italy); LNS, INFN, Via S. Sofia 62, 95123 Catania (Italy); Rizzo, F. [LNS, INFN, Via S. Sofia 62, 95123 Catania (Italy); Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Universita di Catania, Via S. Sofia 64, 95123 Catania (Italy)

    2012-07-15

    The compositional analysis of archeological metals performed with the X-ray Fluorescence technique (XRF) provides information on the ancient technology. One of the most interesting case-study concerns the techniques used by Romans for silvering the surface of coins. Different metallurgical processes have been suggested in previous studies. Recently the investigation has been addressed to the mercury-silvering and to its possible use in the mass-production of coins minted during the late period (after 294 AD). In the present paper the non-destructive investigation of the silvering process used for manufacturing the Roman nummi - the important typology of coin introduced by Diocletian in his monetary reform - is approached by the combined use of the standard X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and the low energy micro-X-Ray Fluorescence (LE-{mu}XRF) portable methods. The research was focused on the systematic determination of the mercury presence in a large number of samples and on its correlation with silver in the surface of the coins. 1041 Roman nummi belonging to the Misurata Treasure were analyzed in situ, at the Leptis Magna Museum (Al Khums, Libya). The treasure, composed of about 108 thousand silvered coins, gives the unique opportunity to study the Roman coinage in a wide interval of time (about 40 years in the period 294-333 AD) and in almost all the imperial mints operating in the Roman world. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Custom-building of a high energy broad-beam and a low energy micro-beam XRF Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer In situ analysis of the silvering methods in late Roman nummi with plated surfaces Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The broad-beam XRF was applied for the detection of mercury traces in the coin alloy. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The low energy micro-XRF was used to scan the surface patina of the coins. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The correlation between mercury and silver at the coin surface was evidenced.

  10. ICT-Isomerization-Induced Turn-On Fluorescence Probe with a Large Emission Shift for Mercury Ion: Application in Combinational Molecular Logic.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhatta, Sushil Ranjan; Mondal, Bijan; Vijaykumar, Gonela; Thakur, Arunabha

    2017-10-02

    A unique turn-on fluorescent device based on a ferrocene-aminonaphtholate derivative specific for Hg 2+ cation was developed. Upon binding with Hg 2+ ion, the probe shows a dramatic fluorescence enhancement (the fluorescence quantum yield increases 58-fold) along with a large red shift of 68 nm in the emission spectrum. The fluorescence enhancement with a red shift may be ascribed to the combinational effect of C═N isomerization and an extended intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) mechanism. The response was instantaneous with a detection limit of 2.7 × 10 -9 M. Upon Hg 2+ recognition, the ferrocene/ferrocenium redox peak was anodically shifted by ΔE 1/2 = 72 mV along with a "naked eye" color change from faint yellow to pale orange for this metal cation. Further, upon protonation of the imine nitrogen, the present probe displays a high fluorescence output due to suppression of the C═N isomerization process. Upon deprotonation using strong base, the fluorescence steadily decreases, which indicates that H + and OH - can be used to regulate the off-on-off fluorescence switching of the present probe. Density functional theory studies revealed that the addition of acid leads to protonation of the imine N (according to natural bond orbital analysis), and the resulting iminium proton forms a strong H-bond (2.307 Å) with one of the triazole N atoms to form a five-membered ring, which makes the molecule rigid; hence, enhancement of the ICT process takes place, thereby leading to a fluorescence enhancement with a red shift. The unprecedented combination of H + , OH - , and Hg 2+ ions has been used to generate a molecular system exhibiting the INHIBIT-OR combinational logic operation.

  11. Atomically precise arrays of fluorescent silver clusters: a modular approach for metal cluster photonics on DNA nanostructures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Copp, Stacy M; Schultz, Danielle E; Swasey, Steven; Gwinn, Elisabeth G

    2015-03-24

    The remarkable precision that DNA scaffolds provide for arraying nanoscale optical elements enables optical phenomena that arise from interactions of metal nanoparticles, dye molecules, and quantum dots placed at nanoscale separations. However, control of ensemble optical properties has been limited by the difficulty of achieving uniform particle sizes and shapes. Ligand-stabilized metal clusters offer a route to atomically precise arrays that combine desirable attributes of both metals and molecules. Exploiting the unique advantages of the cluster regime requires techniques to realize controlled nanoscale placement of select cluster structures. Here we show that atomically monodisperse arrays of fluorescent, DNA-stabilized silver clusters can be realized on a prototypical scaffold, a DNA nanotube, with attachment sites separated by <10 nm. Cluster attachment is mediated by designed DNA linkers that enable isolation of specific clusters prior to assembly on nanotubes and preserve cluster structure and spectral purity after assembly. The modularity of this approach generalizes to silver clusters of diverse sizes and DNA scaffolds of many types. Thus, these silver cluster nano-optical elements, which themselves have colors selected by their particular DNA templating oligomer, bring unique dimensions of control and flexibility to the rapidly expanding field of nano-optics.

  12. Enhanced antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles/halloysite nanotubes/graphene nanocomposites with sandwich-like structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Liang; Zhang, Yatao; Zhang, Bing; Liu, Jindun

    2014-04-11

    A sandwich-like antibacterial reagent (Ag/HNTs/rGO) was constructed through the direct growth of silver nanoparticles on the surface graphene-based HNTs nanosheets. Herein, various nanomaterials were combined by adhesion effect of DOPA after self-polymerization. Ag/HNTs/rGO possess enhanced antibacterial ability against E. coli and S. aureus compared with individual silver nanoparticles, rGO nanosheets or their nanocomposites.

  13. Influence of silver nanoparticles on spectroscopic properties of biologically active iodinated 4-aryloxymethyl coumarin dyes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Raghavendra, U.P. [Department of Physics, Bangalore Institute of Technology, Bangalore 560 004 (India); Thipperudrappa, J., E-mail: jtrphy2007@gmail.com [Department of Physics, B.N.M. Institute of Technology, Bangalore 560 070 (India); Basanagouda, Mahantesha [P.G. Department of Studies in Chemistry, K.L.E. Society' s P.C. Jabin Science College, Hubli 580 031 (India); Melavanki, R.M. [Department of Physics, M.S. Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bangalore 560 054 (India)

    2016-04-15

    The interaction between silver nanoparticles and biologically active iodinated 4-aryloxymethyl coumarins4-(4-iodo-phenoxymethyl)-benzo[h]coumarin (4IPMBC) and 4-(4-iodo-phenoxymethyl)-6-methoxy coumarin (4IPMMC) has been studied using absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. The absorption spectral changes of dyes with the addition of silver nanoparticles suggest their possible interaction with silver nanoparticles. Fluorescence quenching has been observed for both dyes with the addition of silver nanoparticles. The Stern–Volmer plots of fluorescence quenching are found to be nonlinear showing positive deviation. The magnitudes of quenching rate parameter and fluorescence lifetime measurements indicate the presence of static quenching mechanism. The binding constants and the number of binding sites have been estimated from fluorescence data. The role of diffusion, energy transfer and electron transfer processes in fluorescence quenching mechanism has been discussed. - Highlights: • The role of silver nanoparticles on biologically active coumarins is studied. • Fluorescence quenching is due to static mechanism. • Binding constant and the binding sites are estimated. • The role of Forster type energy transfer has been suggested. • Electron transfer is also playing a role in overall quenching mechanism.

  14. Spectral and angle dependent emission of solar fluorescence collectors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Straeter, Hendrik; Knabe, Sebastian; Bauer, Gottfried H. [Institute of Physics, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, D-26111 Oldenburg (Germany)

    2011-07-01

    Fluorescence collectors (FCs) provide the option for concentration and simultaneous spectral selection of solar photons of direct or diffuse light. The energetic and commercial benefit of these systems depend on the yield of the conversion of solar photons into luminescence photons and on the efficiency of their respective conductance to the edges of the FC where they are coupled into appropriate solar cells. For the characterization of the performance of FCs and the identification of losses, we have performed angle and spectrally resolved measurements of fluorescence photons from FC with two different types of optical designs, a PMMA substrate with homogeneous depth dependent dye concentration and a novel type of FC, which consist of a transparent substrate with a thin overlayer containing the absorbing and emitting dye. We have recorded the edge fluorescence when illuminating the entire FC surface laterally homogeneously, as well as for slit-like excitation on the front surface with variation of the distance of the illuminated slit from the edge. We compare the experimental fluorescence results with a 2-dimensional ray-tracing approach and verify the spectral and angle dependent edge emission. Moreover we illuminate the FC with long wavelength photons which are not absorbed and conclude, again from angle dependent and spectrally resolved edge emission, on scattering losses at surfaces and in the bulk.

  15. Spectrally resolved pressure dependence measurements of air fluorescence emission with AIRFLY

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ave, M.; Bohacova, M.; Buonomo, B.; Busca, N.; Cazon, L.; Chemerisov, S.D.; Conde, M.E.; Crowell, R.A.; Di Carlo, P.; Di Giulio, C.; Doubrava, M.; Esposito, A.; Facal, P.; Franchini, F.J.; Hoerandel, J.; Hrabovsky, M.; Iarlori, M.; Kasprzyk, T.E.; Keilhauer, B.; Klages, H.

    2008-01-01

    The knowledge of the fluorescence emission as a function of atmospheric parameters is essential for the detection of extensive air showers with the fluorescence technique. In this paper, we summarize AIRFLY published measurements of the pressure dependence of the fluorescence yield. The spectral distribution of the fluorescent light between 280 and 429 nm has been measured with high resolution. Relative intensities of 34 spectral lines have been determined. The pressure dependence of 25 lines was measured in terms of quenching reference pressures p λ ' in air. This set of AIRFLY measurements yields the most comprehensive parametrization of the pressure dependence of the fluorescent spectrum.

  16. Photoluminescence study of Sm{sup 3+}–Yb{sup 3+}co-doped tellurite glass embedding silver nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reza Dousti, M., E-mail: mrdousti@ifsc.usp.br [Laboratório de Espectroscopia de Materiais Funcionais (LEMAF), Instituto de Fisica de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Trabalhador So-carlense 400, São Carlos, SP 13566-590 (Brazil); Department of Physics, Tehran-North Branch, Islamic Azad University Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai 81310, Johor (Malaysia); Amjad, R.J. [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai 81310, Johor (Malaysia); Department of Physics, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Lahore 54000 (Pakistan); Hosseinian S, R.; Salehi, M.; Sahar, M.R. [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai 81310, Johor (Malaysia)

    2015-03-15

    We report on the upconversion emission of Sm{sup 3+} ions doped tellurite glass in the presence of Yb{sup 3+} ions and silver nanoparticles. The enhancement of infrared-to-visible upconversion emissions is achieved under 980 nm excitation wavelength and attributed to the high absorption cross section of Yb{sup 3+} ions and an efficient energy transfer to Sm{sup 3+} ions. Further enhancements are attributed to the plasmonic effect via metallic nanoparticles resulting in the large localized field around rare earth ions. However, under excitation at 406 nm, the addition of Yb{sup 3+} content and heat-treated silver nanoparticles quench the luminescence of Sm{sup 3+} ions likely due to quantum cutting and plasmonic diluent effects, respectively. - Highlights: • Sm{sup 3+} tellurite glasses co-doped with Yb{sup 3+} ions and tri-doped with Yb{sup 3+}:Ag NPs were prepared. • In first step, Yb{sup 3+} ions enhanced the upconversion emissions of Sm{sup 3+} doped samples. • In second step, Ag NPs further enhanced the upconversion emissions in tri-doped glasses. • Finally, the quench in luminescence under 406 nm excitation is observed and discussed.

  17. Effect of halideions on the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy of methylene blue for borohydride-reduced silver colloid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dong Xiao; Gu Huaimin; Liu Fang

    2011-01-01

    The surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectrum of methylene blue (MB) was studied when adding a range of halideions to borohydride-reduced silver colloid. The halideions such as chloride, bromide and iodide were added as aggregating agents to study the effects of halideions on SERS spectroscopy of MB and observe which halideion gives the greatest enhancement for borohydride-reduced silver colloids. The SERS spectra of MB were also detected over a wide range of concentrations of halideions to find the optimum concentration of halideions for SERS enhancement. From the results of this study, the intensity of SERS signal of MB was enhanced significantly when adding halideions to the colloid. Among the three kinds of halideions, chloride gives the greatest enhancement on SERS signal. The enhancement factors for MB with optimal concentration of chloride, bromide and iodide are 3.44x10 4 , 2.04x10 4 , and 1.0x10 4 , respectively. The differences of the SERS spectra of MB when adding different kinds and concentrations of halideions to the colloid may be attributed to the both effects of extent of aggregation of the colloid and the modification of silver surface chemistry. The purpose of this study is to further investigate the effect of halideions on borohydride-reduced silver colloid and to make the experimental conditions suitable for detecting some analytes in high efficiency on rational principles.

  18. Riboflavin enhanced fluorescence of highly reduced graphene oxide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iliut, Maria; Gabudean, Ana-Maria; Leordean, Cosmin; Simon, Timea; Teodorescu, Cristian-Mihail; Astilean, Simion

    2013-10-01

    The improvement of graphene derivates' fluorescence properties is a challenging topic and very few ways were reported up to now. In this Letter we propose an easy method to enhance the fluorescence of highly reduced graphene oxide (rGO) through non-covalent binding to a molecular fluorophore, namely the riboflavin (Rb). While the fluorescence of Rb is quenched, the Rb - decorated rGO exhibits strong blue fluorescence and significantly increased fluorescence lifetime, as compared to its pristine form. The data reported here represent a promising start towards tailoring the optical properties of rGOs, having utmost importance in optical applications.

  19. Enhanced photoresponsivity in organic field effect transistors by silver nanoparticles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Linnet, Jes; Runge Walther, Anders; Albrektsen, Ole

    2017-01-01

    Organic semiconductors (OSC) such as thiophene-based oligomers exhibit useful electronic and optical properties making them applicable in photo-sensing devices. Generally, thiophene-based photodetectors exhibit a decent responsivity with a spectral sensitivity determined by the OSC's absorption...... and shape of the fabricated silver NPs, a spectrally broad enhancement is predicted, which is in agreement with the experimental results. The results show that the photoresponsivity is dominantly enhanced in a spectral region of low OSC absorption coinciding with the localized surface plasmon resonances...

  20. Luminescence quenching versus enhancement in WO3-NaPO3 glasses doped with trivalent rare earth ions and containing silver nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dousti, M. Reza; Poirier, Gael Y.; Amjad, Raja J.; de Camargo, Andrea S. S.

    2016-10-01

    We report on the influence of silver nanoparticles (NPs) on the luminescence behavior of trivalent rare earth (RE) ion doped tungsten-phosphate glasses. In order to induce the growth of NPs, the as-prepared glass samples containing silver atoms, are exposed to heat-treatment above the glass transition temperature. The surface plasmon resonance band of the Ag NPs is observed in the visible range around 420 and 537 nm in the glasses with low and high tungsten content, respectively. Such difference in spectral shift of the plasmon band is attributed to the difference in the refractive index of the two studied glass compositions. Heat-treatment results in the general increase in number of NPs, while in the case of glasses with low tungsten content, it also imposes a shift to the Ag plasmon band. The NPs size distribution (4-10 nm) was determined in good agreement with the values obtained by using Mie theory and by transmission electron microscopy. The observed quenching in the visible luminescence of glasses doped with Eu3+, Tb3+ or Er3+is attributed to energy transfer from the RE ions to Ag species, while an enhanced near-infrared emission in Er3+ doped glasses is discussed in terms of the chemical contribution of silver, rather than the most commonly claimed enhancement of localized field or energy transfer from silver species to Er3+. The results are supported by the lifetime measurements. We believe that this study gives further insight and in-depth exploration of the somewhat controversial discussions on the influence of metallic NPs plasmonic effects in RE-doped glasses.

  1. Reusable fluorescent sensor for captopril based on energy transfer from photoluminescent graphene oxide self-assembly multilayers to silver nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Xiangying; Liu, Bin; Li, Shuchun; Li, Fang

    2016-05-15

    In this work we designed a self-assembly multilayers, in which photoluminescent graphene oxide was employed as a fluorescence probe. This multilayers film can effectively recognize captopril by resonance energy transfer from graphite oxide to silver nanoparticles. A new interfacial sensing method for captopril with high signal to noise ratio was established, by means of that multilayers was quenched by silver nanoparticles and subsequently recovered by adding captopril. The linear relation between intensity and captopril concentration was good, and the detection limit was found to be 0.1578 μM. Also, this novel detection platform demonstrated intriguing reusable properties, and the sensor could be repeated more than ten times without obviously losing its sensing performance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Enhanced antimicrobial activities of silver-nanoparticle-decorated reduced graphene nanocomposites against oral pathogens

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peng, Jian-min; Lin, Jia-cheng; Chen, Zhuo-yu; Wei, Meng-chao; Fu, Yuan-xiang; Lu, Shu-shen; Yu, Dong-sheng; Zhao, Wei

    2017-01-01

    As a means of capitalizing on the synergistic properties between reduced graphene nanosheets (R-GNs) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), an efficient and convenient chemical reduction method was used to prepare silver-nanoparticle-decorated reduced graphene nanocomposites (R-GNs/Ag). The products were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy, which confirmed the loading of well-dispersed silver nanoparticles on reduced graphene sheets. Their antimicrobial activities against oral pathogens such as Candida albicans, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Streptococcus mutans, and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans were investigated by MIC determination, the counting of colony-forming units (CFU), agar diffusion tests, and growth curve observation. Compared with pure R-GNs and AgNPs, R-GNs/Ag composites exhibited enhanced antimicrobial properties owing to highly dispersed AgNPs on R-GNs. - Highlights: • This study synthesized R-GNs/Ag composites by a chemical reduction method. • AgNPs were successfully dispersed on reduced graphene nanosheets. • R-GNs/Ag composites showed enhanced antimicrobial activities against oral pathogens compared with plain AgNPs or R-GNs.

  3. Enhanced antimicrobial activities of silver-nanoparticle-decorated reduced graphene nanocomposites against oral pathogens

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peng, Jian-min; Lin, Jia-cheng; Chen, Zhuo-yu; Wei, Meng-chao [Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510055 (China); Fu, Yuan-xiang; Lu, Shu-shen [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275 (China); Yu, Dong-sheng, E-mail: yudsh@mail.sysu.edu.cn [Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510055 (China); Zhao, Wei, E-mail: zhaowei3@mail.sysu.edu.cn [Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510055 (China)

    2017-02-01

    As a means of capitalizing on the synergistic properties between reduced graphene nanosheets (R-GNs) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), an efficient and convenient chemical reduction method was used to prepare silver-nanoparticle-decorated reduced graphene nanocomposites (R-GNs/Ag). The products were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy, which confirmed the loading of well-dispersed silver nanoparticles on reduced graphene sheets. Their antimicrobial activities against oral pathogens such as Candida albicans, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Streptococcus mutans, and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans were investigated by MIC determination, the counting of colony-forming units (CFU), agar diffusion tests, and growth curve observation. Compared with pure R-GNs and AgNPs, R-GNs/Ag composites exhibited enhanced antimicrobial properties owing to highly dispersed AgNPs on R-GNs. - Highlights: • This study synthesized R-GNs/Ag composites by a chemical reduction method. • AgNPs were successfully dispersed on reduced graphene nanosheets. • R-GNs/Ag composites showed enhanced antimicrobial activities against oral pathogens compared with plain AgNPs or R-GNs.

  4. Using Fluorescence Intensity of Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein to Quantify Pseudomonas aeruginosa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erin Wilson

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available A variety of direct and indirect methods have been used to quantify planktonic and biofilm bacterial cells. Direct counting methods to determine the total number of cells include plate counts, microscopic cell counts, Coulter cell counting, flow cytometry, and fluorescence microscopy. However, indirect methods are often used to supplement direct cell counting, as they are often more convenient, less time-consuming, and require less material, while providing a number that can be related to the direct cell count. Herein, an indirect method is presented that uses fluorescence emission intensity as a proxy marker for studying bacterial accumulation. A clinical strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was genetically modified to express a green fluorescent protein (PA14/EGFP. The fluorescence intensity of EGFP in live cells was used as an indirect measure of live cell density, and was compared with the traditional cell counting methods of optical density (OD600 and plate counting (colony-forming units (CFUs. While both OD600 and CFUs are well-established methods, the use of fluorescence spectroscopy to quantify bacteria is less common. This study demonstrates that EGFP intensity is a convenient reporter for bacterial quantification. In addition, we demonstrate the potential for fluorescence spectroscopy to be used to measure the quantity of PA14/EGFP biofilms, which have important human health implications due to their antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, fluorescence spectroscopy could serve as an alternative or complementary quick assay to quantify bacteria in planktonic cultures and biofilms.

  5. Uptake and effect of highly fluorescent silver nanoclusters on Scenedesmus obliquus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Li; He, Yiliang; Goswami, Nirmal; Xie, Jianping; Zhang, Bo; Tao, Xianji

    2016-06-01

    The release of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) in aquatic environment has caused wide public concern about their effects on living organisms (e.g., algae). However, how these small NPs exert cytotoxicity in the living organisms has always been under heated debate. In this study, the uptake and toxicity effects of strongly red-emitting fluorescent silver nanoclusters (r-Ag NCs) exposed to the green algae Scenedesmus obliquus was investigated. Upon exposure to pure r-Ag NCs and r-Ag NCs containing l-cysteine, the algae growth inhibition test showed that Ag(+) ions released from r-Ag NCs played an important role in the toxicity of r-Ag NCs along with the toxicity of intact r-Ag NCs. Furthermore, no signals of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were observed indicating that r-Ag NCs or released Ag(+) ions - mediated growth inhibition of algae cells was independent of ROS production. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) were employed to study cellular uptake and cytotoxicity. Furthermore, analysis of differential expressed gene demonstrated that r-Ag NCs as well as the released Ag(+) ions can simultaneously exist inside the algae cells, and inhibit the transcriptomic process of genes by their "joint-toxicity" mechanism. Taken together, our study provides a new insight into the molecular mechanisms of r-Ag NCs and Ag(+) ions exposure to the aquatic organism and can be applied to early diagnosis of ecologic risk mediated by others metal-based NPs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Enhanced Detection of Human Plasma Proteins on Nanostructured Silver Surfaces

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zuzana Orságová Králová

    2013-08-01

    enhancement factor of 3.6×102 was achieved for a band with a Raman shift of 2104cm‐1 for globulin deposited onto silver nanostructured film on unpolished stainless steel substrate. The detection limit was 400g/mL. Plasma or serum could present a preferable material for non‐ invasive cancer disease diagnosis using the SERS method.

  7. Plasmonic characterization of photo-induced silver nanoparticles extracted from silver halide based TEM film

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sudheer,, E-mail: sudheer@rrcat.gov.in; Tiwari, P.; Rai, V. N.; Srivastava, A. K. [Indus Synchrotrons Utilization Division, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology Indore, Madhya Pradesh 452013 (India); Varshney, G. K. [Laser Bio-medical Applications & Instrumentation Division, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology Indore, Madhya Pradesh 452013 (India)

    2016-05-23

    The plasmonic responses of silver nanoparticles extracted from silver halide based electron microscope film are investigated. Photo-reduction process is carried out to convert the silver halide grains into the metallic silver. The centrifuge technique is used for separating the silver nanoparticles from the residual solution. Morphological study performed by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) shows that all the nanoparticles have an average diameter of ~120 nm with a high degree of mono dispersion in size. The localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) absorption peak at ~537 nm confirms the presence of large size silver nanoparticles.

  8. Efficient silver modification of TiO2 nanotubes with enhanced photocatalytic activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Jing; Ding, Lei; Xi, Yaoning; Shi, Liang; Su, Ge; Gao, Rongjie; Wang, Wei; Dong, Bohua; Cao, Lixin

    2018-06-01

    In this paper, Ag(CH3NH2)2+, Ag(NH3)2+ and Ag+ with different radii have been used as silver sources to find out the distribution of Ag ions on the H-TNT surface, which is critical to the final performance. The influence of this distribution on visible photocatalytic activity is further studied. The results indicate that, when Ag+ used as silver source with low concentration, these small sized silver ions mainly distribute on interlayer spacing of H-TNT. After heat-treatment and photo-reduction, the generated silver nanoparticles uniformly embed in the anatase TiO2 nanotube walls, and bring large interfacial area between Ag particles and TiO2 nanotubes. The separation effect of photogenerated electron-hole pair in TiO2 is enhanced by Ag particles, and achieves the best at 0.15 g/L, much higher than P25, TiO2/0, Ag-N@TiO2 and Ag-C-N@TiO2. This paper provides new ideas for the modification of TiO2 nanotubes.

  9. Effect of the size of silver nanoparticles on SERS signal enhancement

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Rui Xiu; Liang, Robert; Peng, Peng; Norman Zhou, Y.

    2017-08-01

    The localized surface plasmon resonance arising from plasmonic materials is beneficial in solution-based and thin-film sensing applications, which increase the sensitivity of the analyte being tested. Silver nanoparticles from 35 to 65 nm in diameter were synthesized using a low-temperature method and deposited in a monolayer on a (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES)-functionalized glass slide. The effect of particle size on monolayer structure, optical behavior, and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is studied. While increasing particle size decreases particle coverage, it also changes the localized surface plasmon resonance and thus the SERS activity of individual nanoparticles. Using a laser excitation wavelength of 633 nm, the stronger localized surface plasmon resonance coupling to this excitation wavelength at larger particle sizes trumps the loss in surface coverage, and greater SERS signals are observed. The SERS signal enhancement accounts for the higher SERS signal, which was verified using a finite element model of a silver nanoparticle dimer with various nanoparticle sizes and separation distances.

  10. Spectral Neugebauer-based color halftone prediction model accounting for paper fluorescence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hersch, Roger David

    2014-08-20

    We present a spectral model for predicting the fluorescent emission and the total reflectance of color halftones printed on optically brightened paper. By relying on extended Neugebauer models, the proposed model accounts for the attenuation by the ink halftones of both the incident exciting light in the UV wavelength range and the emerging fluorescent emission in the visible wavelength range. The total reflectance is predicted by adding the predicted fluorescent emission relative to the incident light and the pure reflectance predicted with an ink-spreading enhanced Yule-Nielsen modified Neugebauer reflectance prediction model. The predicted fluorescent emission spectrum as a function of the amounts of cyan, magenta, and yellow inks is very accurate. It can be useful to paper and ink manufacturers who would like to study in detail the contribution of the fluorescent brighteners and the attenuation of the fluorescent emission by ink halftones.

  11. Enhanced 1.32 μm fluorescence and broadband amplifying for O-band optical amplifier in Nd3+-doped tellurite glass

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Zi-zhong; Zhou, Ming-han; Su, Xiu-e.; Cheng, Pan; Zhou, Ya-xun

    2017-01-01

    WO3 oxides with relatively high phonon energy and different concentrations were introduced into the Nd3+-doped tellurite-based glasses of TeO2-ZnO-Na2O to improve the 1.32 μm band fluorescence emission. The absorption spectra, Raman spectra, 1.32 μm band fluorescence spectra and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) curves were measured, together with the Judd-Ofelt intensity parameters, stimulated emission and gain parameters were calculated to evaluate the effects of WO3 amount on the glass structure and spectroscopic properties of 1.32 μm band fluorescence. It is shown that the introduction of an appropriate amount of WO3 oxide can effectively improve the 1.32 μm band fluorescence intensity through the enhanced multi-phonon relaxation (MPR) processes between the excited levels of Nd3+. The results indicate that the prepared Nd3+-doped tellurite glass with an appropriate amount of WO3 oxide is a potential gain medium applied for the O-band broad and high-gain fiber amplifier.

  12. Surface plasmon-enhanced molecular fluorescence induced by gold nanostructures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Teng, Y.; Ueno, K.; Shi, X.; Aoyo, D.; Misawa, H.; Qiu, J.

    2012-01-01

    The authors report on surface plasmon-enhanced fluorescence of Eosin Y molecules induced by gold nanostructures. Al 2 O 3 films deposited by atomic layer deposition with sub-nanometer resolution were used as the spacer layer to control the distance between molecules and the gold surface. As the thickness of the Al 2 O 3 film increased, the fluorescence intensity first increased and then decreased. The highest enhancement factor is achieved with a 1 nm Al 2 O 3 film. However, the trend for the fluorescence lifetime is the opposite. It first decreased and then increased. The changes in the fluorescence quantum yield were also calculated. The yield shows a similar trend to the fluorescence intensity. The competition between the surface plasmon-induced increase in the radiative decay rate and the gold-induced fluorescence quenching is responsible for the observed phenomenon. In addition, this competition strongly depends on the thickness of the spacer layer between Eosin Y molecules and the gold surface. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  13. Templated green synthesis of plasmonic silver nanoparticles in onion epidermal cells suitable for surface-enhanced Raman and hyper-Raman scattering

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Palanco, Marta Espina; Mogensen, Klaus Bo; Guehlke, Marina

    2016-01-01

    We report fast and simple green synthesis of plasmonic silver nanoparticles in the epidermal cells of onions after incubation with AgNO3 solution. The biological environment supports the generation of silver nanostructures in two ways. The plant tissue delivers reducing chemicals for the initial...... for one-and two-photon-excited spectroscopy such as surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and surface enhanced hyper-Raman scattering (SEHRS). Our studies demonstrate a templated green preparation of enhancing plasmonic nanoparticles and suggest a new route to deliver silver nanoparticles as basic...... building blocks of plasmonic nanosensors to plants by the uptake of solutions of metal salts....

  14. Aggregation-enhanced emission and piezochromic luminescence of 9,10-bis(p-dibutylaminostyryl)-2,6-bis(p-t-butylstyryl)anthracene

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sun, Mingxiao; Zhang, Deteng; Li, Yiping; Wang, Jianfeng; Gao, Yangyang; Yang, Wenjun, E-mail: ywjph2004@qust.edu.cn

    2014-04-15

    A cruciform 9,10-distyrylanthracene-containing luminogen, 9,10-bis(p-dibutylaminostyryl)-2,6-bis(p-t-butylstyryl)anthracene (DDC), has been synthesized and the optical properties investigated. The results show that DDC is an aggregation-induced enhanced emission (AIEE) and piezofluorochromic (PFC) dye. The fluorescence quantum yield in THF/water=1/9 (18.1%) is about 12-fold over that in THF (1.53%). PFC experiment shows that the fluorescence colors (emission spectra) of DDC solid change reversibly between orange-red (602 nm) and red (632 nm) emissions upon pressing and annealing. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetric analyses reveal that the grinding has induced the phase transition of DDC solid from pristine crystalline to ground amorphous states, and annealing could cause the re-crystallization of amorphized DDC solid. This transformation between crystalline and amorphous states is responsible for the reversible PFC behavior upon external stimuli. Highlights: • A two-dimensional cross-conjugated luminogen (DDC) was synthesized. • DDC exhibits aggregation-enhanced emission and piezofluorochromic behaviors. • DDC emits bluer light in the crystalline phase than in the amorphous phase. • The PFC mechanism is ascribed to grinding-induced amorphization.

  15. Optimizing plasmon-enhanced fluorescence with nonlocal metallic nanospheres

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tserkezis, Christos; Stefanou, Nikolaos; Wubs, Martijn

    , through the recent Generalized Nonlocal Optical Response (GNOR) theory, the concurrent contribution of modal shifts and nonradiative losses, together with a reduced emitter excitation rate due to the decreased field intensity, lead always to a strong reduction of fluorescence (see Fig. 1). Finally, we...... identify situations where the common, intuitive recipe of tuning the NP modes to match λem can in fact lead to strong fluorescence quenching, instead of the anticipated enhancement. Our results highlight the necessity for careful modeling and design of plasmon-field-enhancement based applications....

  16. Enhancement and Quenching of Fluorescence by Silver Nanoparticles in Organic Light-Emitting Diodes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ying-Chung Chen

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The influence of silver nanoparticles (SNPs on the performance of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs is investigated in this study. The SNPs are introduced between the electron-transport layers by means of thermal evaporation. SNPs are found to have the surface plasmon resonance at wavelength 525 nm when the mean particle size of SNPs is 34 nm. The optimized OLED, in terms of the spacing between the emitting layer and SNPs, is found to have the maximum luminance 2.4 times higher than that in the OLED without SNPs. The energy transfer between exciton and surface plasmons with the different spacing distances has been studied.

  17. Solid-immersion fluorescence microscopy with increased emission and super resolution

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liau, Z. L.; Porter, J. M. [Lincoln Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Lexington, Massachusetts 02420 (United States); Liau, A. A.; Chen, J. J. [Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States); Salmon, W. C. [Whitehead Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States); Sheu, S. S. [Department of Medicine, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107 (United States)

    2015-01-07

    We investigate solid-immersion fluorescence microscopy suitable for super-resolution nanotechnology and biological imaging, and have observed limit of resolution as small as 15 nm with microspheres, mitochondria, and chromatin fibers. We have further observed that fluorescence efficiency increases with excitation power density, implicating appreciable stimulated emission and increased resolution. We discuss potential advantages of the solid-immersion microscopy, including combined use with previously established super-resolution techniques for reaching deeper beyond the conventional diffraction limit.

  18. X-ray fluorescence investigation of gilded and enamelled silver: The case study of four medieval processional crosses from central Italy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ferretti, Marco; Polese, Claudia; Roldán García, Clodoaldo

    2013-01-01

    The presence of multilayered structures is common in such cultural artefacts as paintings, corroded metals, objects that underwent a whatever form of surface qualification. One of the most usual and complete ways to investigate such structures is observing a cross section, which requires sampling. There are however situations where at least part of the stratigraphic information can be derived non-destructively: the literature shows that X-ray fluorescence (XRF) has frequently been used, in recent years, for this purpose, with special regard to paintings and gilded metals. Aim of this paper is to further explore the suitability of XRF-based techniques to characterise multilayered structures. This is achieved by introducing improvements, with respect to previous works, in both equipment and data processing. The method, that has been developed for gilded and enamelled silver artefacts, relies on optimum excitation conditions provided for silver and on the relationship existing between the ratio AgKα/AgKβ of its fluorescence lines and the gilding thickness itself. The coating (gilding or enamel) thickness is derived by verifying the condition C Kα,Ag = C Kβ,Ag , where C Kα,Ag and C Kβ,Ag are the mass fractions of silver calculated on the lines AgKα and AgKβ, respectively. The calculations are carried out by PyMCA, a Fundamental Parameters code that implements the analysis of multilayered samples. As a case study we investigated in situ the four processional crosses of Borbona, Sant'Elpidio, Rosciolo and Forcella, made of a wood core with attached gilt and embossed silver sheets and enamelled silver plates. The analyses allowed to distinguish ancient restorations from original parts, to characterise the enamels and find their composition consistent with the dates of manufacturing and, as regards the cross of Rosciolo, to hypothesize the contribution of different “hands” in its manufacturing. - Highlights: ► We discuss a non-destructive XRF method for the

  19. X-ray fluorescence investigation of gilded and enamelled silver: The case study of four medieval processional crosses from central Italy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ferretti, Marco, E-mail: marco.ferretti@itabc.cnr.it [CNR, Istituto per le Tecnologie Applicate ai Beni Culturali, AdR RM1, Via Salaria km 29.300, 00016 Montelibretti (Roma) (Italy); Polese, Claudia, E-mail: claudia.polese87@hotmail.it [Dip. di Chimica, Università di Roma “Sapienza,” Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Roma (Italy); Roldán García, Clodoaldo, E-mail: Clodoaldo.Roldan@uv.es [Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales, Parc Cientific Universidad de Valencia, C/Catedrático José Beltrán 2, 46980 Paterna (Valencia) (Spain)

    2013-05-01

    The presence of multilayered structures is common in such cultural artefacts as paintings, corroded metals, objects that underwent a whatever form of surface qualification. One of the most usual and complete ways to investigate such structures is observing a cross section, which requires sampling. There are however situations where at least part of the stratigraphic information can be derived non-destructively: the literature shows that X-ray fluorescence (XRF) has frequently been used, in recent years, for this purpose, with special regard to paintings and gilded metals. Aim of this paper is to further explore the suitability of XRF-based techniques to characterise multilayered structures. This is achieved by introducing improvements, with respect to previous works, in both equipment and data processing. The method, that has been developed for gilded and enamelled silver artefacts, relies on optimum excitation conditions provided for silver and on the relationship existing between the ratio AgKα/AgKβ of its fluorescence lines and the gilding thickness itself. The coating (gilding or enamel) thickness is derived by verifying the condition C{sub Kα,Ag} = C{sub Kβ,Ag}, where C{sub Kα,Ag} and C{sub Kβ,Ag} are the mass fractions of silver calculated on the lines AgKα and AgKβ, respectively. The calculations are carried out by PyMCA, a Fundamental Parameters code that implements the analysis of multilayered samples. As a case study we investigated in situ the four processional crosses of Borbona, Sant'Elpidio, Rosciolo and Forcella, made of a wood core with attached gilt and embossed silver sheets and enamelled silver plates. The analyses allowed to distinguish ancient restorations from original parts, to characterise the enamels and find their composition consistent with the dates of manufacturing and, as regards the cross of Rosciolo, to hypothesize the contribution of different “hands” in its manufacturing. - Highlights: ► We discuss a non

  20. Surface-enhanced raman spectroscopic studies of ellagic acid in silver colloids

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Seung Jang; Cheong, Byeong Seo; Cho, Han Gook [Dept. of Chemistry, Incheon National University, Incheon (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-06-15

    Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy has been applied for the vibrational characterization of ellagic acid (EA), a natural organic dye, using citrate-reduced silver colloids. The infrared and FT-Raman spectra of EA in the solid state were examined for comparison. Spectral assignments of the observed bands were aided by density functional theory (DFT) calculations employing the B3LYP functional. The variations in the SERS spectrum with pH and excitation wavelength were analyzed to gain information on the adsorption- and pH-dependent behaviors of the natural dye on the metal surface. On the basis of the observed spectral features and DFT calculations, the adsorption configuration of EA on the silver metal surface is proposed.

  1. Darkfield microspectroscopy of nanostructures on silver tip-enhanced Raman scattering probes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Itoh, Tamitake, E-mail: tamitake-itou@aist.go.jp [Nano-Bioanalysis Team, Health Technology Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Takamatsu, Kagawa 761-0395 (Japan); Yamamoto, Yuko S., E-mail: yamayulab@gmail.com [Research Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Chiyoda, Tokyo 102-8472 (Japan); Department of Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, Kagawa University, Takamatsu, Kagawa 761-0396 (Japan); Suzuki, Toshiaki [UNISOKU Co. Ltd., 2-4-3 Kasugano, Hirakata, Osaka 573-0131 (Japan); Kitahama, Yasutaka; Ozaki, Yukihiro [Department of Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin University, Sanda, Hyogo 669-1337 (Japan)

    2016-01-11

    We report an evaluation method employing darkfield microspectroscopy for silver probes used in tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS). By adjusting the darkfield illumination, the diffracted light from the probe outlines disappears and the diffracted light from the surface nanostructures and tips of the probes appears as colorful spots. Scanning electron microscopy reveals that the spectral variations in these spots reflect the shapes of the surface nanostructures. The tip curvatures correlate to the spectral maxima of their spots. Temporal color changes in the spots indicate the deterioration due to the oxidation of the silver surfaces. These results show that the proposed method is useful for in situ evaluation of plasmonic properties of TERS probes.

  2. Surface-enhanced absorption by self-organized silver films with aciniform-like nanoaggregates at elevated temperatures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Sang Woo, E-mail: swkim@kist.re.kr [Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Clean Energy Research Center (Korea, Republic of)

    2012-01-15

    Morphological evolution of silver nanocomposite films prepared by the wet colloidal route and surface-enhanced phenomena on aggregate nanostructures evolved during annealing were investigated. Dramatic changes in morphologies of particles and pores incurred by rearragement, coarsening, premelting, and dewetting of the silver clusters at different concentrations (i.e., mass thicknesses). At a higher mass thickness, the morphological transitions from self-organized nanoaggregates with aciniform pattern at 300 Degree-Sign C to elongated and coarsened particles with circular holes at 400 Degree-Sign C to island clusters at 500 Degree-Sign C occurred in the films. The peculiar absorption with a much redder and broader surface plasmon feature, which gone far beyond the theoretical prediction, induced by the formation of aciniform nanoaggregates embedded in the porous polymer matrix at a critical mass thickness of 9.6 nm during partial degradation of the PVP polymer and rearrangement of silver clusters at 300 Degree-Sign C. The surface-enhanced absorption was dramatically reduced by the elemination of the aggregate nanostructures and the spontaneous formation of the silver nanoisland film at the dewetting temperature of 500 Degree-Sign C.

  3. Polarization Multiplexing of Fluorescent Emission Using Multiresonant Plasmonic Antennas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Leo, Eva; Cocina, Ario; Tiwari, Preksha; Poulikakos, Lisa V; Marqués-Gallego, Patricia; le Feber, Boris; Norris, David J; Prins, Ferry

    2017-12-26

    Combining the ability to localize electromagnetic fields at the nanoscale with a directional response, plasmonic antennas offer an effective strategy to shape the far-field pattern of coupled emitters. Here, we introduce a family of directional multiresonant antennas that allows for polarization-resolved spectral identification of fluorescent emission. The geometry consists of a central aperture surrounded by concentric polygonal corrugations. By varying the periodicity of each axis of the polygon individually, this structure can support multiple resonances that provide independent control over emission directionality for multiple wavelengths. Moreover, since each resonant wavelength is directly mapped to a specific polarization orientation, spectral information can be encoded in the polarization state of the out-scattered beam. To demonstrate the potential of such structures in enabling simplified detection schemes and additional functionalities in sensing and imaging applications, we use the central subwavelength aperture as a built-in nanocuvette and manipulate the fluorescent response of colloidal-quantum-dot emitters coupled to the multiresonant antenna.

  4. Synthesis of silver nanoprisms: A photochemical approach using light emission diodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saade, Jamil; Araújo, Cid B. de

    2014-01-01

    We report a simplified photochemical methodology for fabrication of silver nanoprisms (Ag-NPs). The particles, synthesized in aqueous solution, were produced by illumination with narrow band and low cost Light Emission Diodes (LEDs) and exhibit Localized Surface Plasmon Resonances (LSPR) from the blue to the near-infrared. The new methodology consists of one pot synthesis that uses only three chemical reagents and allows good control of the sizes and the aspect ratios of triangular Ag-NPs. Reduction of silver ions by trisodium citrate (TSC), catalyzed on silver seeds, is exploited to synthesize and to control the growth of the Ag-NPs. The growth kinetics of the particles was characterized by monitoring the LSPR absorption band during several hours under continuous illumination. Optical absorption, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electron diffraction and zeta potential measurements were performed to characterize the shape and size of the Ag-NPs and the colloid stability during its synthesis and aging. The TEM images and extinction spectra revealed Ag-NPs with good size dispersion and narrow LSPR bands with great potential for applications in nanotechnology. - Highlights: • Efficient method to synthesize Ag nanoprisms using only three chemical reagents. • Practicality: it removes the needs for some steps used in photochemical synthesis. • Zeta Potential measurements revealed the best conditions for colloids stability. • Non-coherent-radiation-induced dipoles cause aggregation of similar nanoprisms. • Data confirmed step-like-structures on the nanoprisms surface due to their aging

  5. Acoustic Purcell Effect for Enhanced Emission

    KAUST Repository

    Landi, Maryam

    2018-03-13

    We observe that our experimentally measured emission power enhancement of a speaker inside a previously proposed metacavity agrees with our numerically calculated enhancement of the density of states (DOS) of the source-cavity system. We interpret the agreement by formulating a relation between the emitted sound power and the acoustic DOS. The formulation is an analog to Fermi’s golden rule in quantum emission. The formulation complements the radiation impedance theory in traditional acoustics for describing sound emission. Our study bridges the gap between acoustic DOS and the acoustic Purcell effect for sound emission enhancement.

  6. Acoustic Purcell Effect for Enhanced Emission

    KAUST Repository

    Landi, Maryam; Zhao, Jiajun; Prather, Wayne E.; Wu, Ying; Zhang, Likun

    2018-01-01

    We observe that our experimentally measured emission power enhancement of a speaker inside a previously proposed metacavity agrees with our numerically calculated enhancement of the density of states (DOS) of the source-cavity system. We interpret the agreement by formulating a relation between the emitted sound power and the acoustic DOS. The formulation is an analog to Fermi’s golden rule in quantum emission. The formulation complements the radiation impedance theory in traditional acoustics for describing sound emission. Our study bridges the gap between acoustic DOS and the acoustic Purcell effect for sound emission enhancement.

  7. Green-synthetized silver nanoparticles for Nanoparticle-Enhanced Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (NELIBS) using a mobile instrument

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poggialini, F.; Campanella, B.; Giannarelli, S.; Grifoni, E.; Legnaioli, S.; Lorenzetti, G.; Pagnotta, S.; Safi, A.; Palleschi, V.

    2018-03-01

    When compared to other analytical techniques, LIBS shows relatively low precision and, generally, high Limits of Detection (LODs). Until recently, the attempts in improving the LIBS performances have been based on the use of more stable/powerful lasers, high sensitivity detectors or controlled environmental parameters. This can hinder the competitiveness of LIBS by increasing the instrumental setup cost and the difficulty of operation. Sample treatment has proved to be a viable and simple way to increase the LIBS signal; in particular, the Nanoparticle-Enhanced Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (NELIBS) methodology uses a deposition of metal nanoparticles on the sample to greatly increase the emission of the LIBS plasma. In this work, we used a simple, fast, "green" and low-cost method to synthetize silver nanoparticles by using coffee extract as reducing agents for a silver nitrate solution. This allowed us to obtain nanoparticles of about 25 nm in diameter. We then explored the application of such nanoparticles to the NELIBS analysis of metallic samples with a mobile LIBS instrument. By adjusting the laser parameters and optimizing the sample preparation procedure, we obtained a NELIBS signal that is 4 times the LIBS one. This showed the potential of green-synthetized nanoparticle for NELIBS applications and suggests the possibility of an in-situ application of the technique.

  8. Functionalised Silver Nanowire Structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andrew, Piers; Ilie, Adelina

    2007-01-01

    Crystalline silver nanowires 60-100 nm in diameter and tens of micrometres in length have been fabricated using a low temperature, solution synthesis technique. We explore the potential of this method to produce functional nanowire structures using two different strategies to attach active molecules to the nanowires: adsorption and displacement. Initially, as-produced silver nanowires capped with a uniaxial-growth-inducing polymer layer were functionalised by solution adsorption of a semiconducting conjugated polymer to generate fluorescent nanowire structures. The influence of nanowire surface chemistry was investigated by displacing the capping polymer with an alkanethiol self-assembled monolayer, followed by solution adsorption functionalisation. The success of molecular attachment was monitored by electron microscopy, absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy and confocal fluorescence microscopy. We examined how the optical properties of such adsorbed molecules are affected by the metallic nanowires, and observed transfer of excitation energy between dye molecules mediated by surface plasmons propagating on the nanowires. Non-contact dynamic force microscopy measurements were used to map the work-function of individual wires, revealing inhomogeneity of the polymer surface coverage

  9. Spatially Controlled Fabrication of Brightly Fluorescent Nanodiamond-Array with Enhanced Far-Red Si-V Luminescence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Sonal; Thomas, Vinoy; Martyshkin, Dmitry; Kozlovskaya, Veronika; Kharlampieva, Eugenia

    2014-01-01

    We demonstrate a novel approach to precise pattern fluorescent nanodiamond-arrays with enhanced far-red intense photostable luminescence from silicon-vacancy (Si-V) defect centers. The precision-patterned pre-growth seeding of nanodiamonds is achieved by scanning probe “Dip-Pen” nanolithography technique using electrostatically-driven transfer of nanodiamonds from “inked” cantilevers to a UV-treated hydrophilic SiO2 substrate. The enhanced emission from nanodiamond-dots in the far-red is achieved by incorporating Si-V defect centers in subsequent chemical vapor deposition treatment. The development of a suitable nanodiamond ink, mechanism of ink transport, and effect of humidity, dwell time on nanodiamond patterning are investigated. The precision-patterning of as-printed (pre-CVD) arrays with dot diameter and dot height as small as 735 nm ± 27 nm, 61 nm ± 3 nm, respectively and CVD-treated fluorescent ND-arrays with consistently patterned dots having diameter and height as small as 820 nm ± 20 nm, 245 nm ± 23 nm, respectively using 1 s dwell time and 30% RH is successfully achieved. We anticipate that the far-red intense photostable luminescence (~738 nm) observed from Si-V defect centers integrated in spatially arranged nanodiamonds could be beneficial for the development of the next generation fluorescent based devices and applications. PMID:24394286

  10. Pyrene As a New Detector for Determining the Composition of Silver Nanoparticle Dispersions in Aqueous Solutions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romanovskaya, G. I.; Kazakova, S. Yu.; Koroleva, M. V.; Zuev, B. K.

    2018-03-01

    It is proposed that the fluorescence of monomeric molecules of pyrene in solid matrices or in concentrated micellar solutions be used as a detector for determining the compositional homogeneity of silver nanoparticle (NP) dispersions in aqueous solutions synthesized in different ways. It is found that the morphology of silver NPs affects the change in the fluorescence intensity of monomeric molecules of pyrene in a certain (violet or blue) region of the pyrene optical spectrum. The observed phenomenon is attributed to the resonance of electronic transitions in the monomeric molecules of pyrene in regions with plasmon oscillations in silver nanoparticles. A new way of obtaining fluorescent silver NPs is found.

  11. Quenched carbonaceous composite - Fluorescence spectrum compared to the extended red emission observed in reflection nebulae

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakata, Akira; Wada, Setsuko; Narisawa, Takatoshi; Asano, Yoichi; Iijima, Yutaka; Onaka, Takashi; Tokunaga, Alan T.

    1992-01-01

    The photoluminescence (fluorescence) of a film of the laboratory-synthesized quenched carbonaceous composite (filmy QCC) is shown to have a single broad emission feature with a peak wavelength that varies from 670 to 725 nm, and coincides with that of the extended red emission observed in reflection nebulae. The rapid decay of the filmy QCC red fluorescence in air and of the stable blue fluorescence of the filmy QCC dissolved in liquid Freon suggests that the red fluorescence originates from the interaction of active chemical species and aromatic components in the filmy QCC. A material similar in nature to that of the filmy QCC may be a major component of interstellar dust.

  12. Electron field emission from screen-printed graphene/DWCNT composite films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu, Jinzhuo; Pan, Rong; Chen, Yiwei; Piao, Xianqin; Qian, Min; Feng, Tao; Sun, Zhuo

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► The field emission performance improved significantly when adding graphene into DWCNTs as the emission material. ► We set up a model of pure DWCNT films and graphene/DWCNT composite films. ► We discussed the contact barrier between emission films and electric substrates by considering the Fermi energies of silver, DWCNT and graphene. - Abstract: The electron field emission properties of graphene/double-walled carbon nanotube (DWCNT) composite films prepared by screen printing have been systematically studied. Comparing with the pure DWCNT films and pure graphene films, a significant enhancement of electron emission performance of the composite films are observed, such as lower turn-on field, higher emission current density, higher field enhancement factor, and long-term stability. The optimized composite films with 20% weight ratio of graphene show the best electron emission performance with a low turn-on field of 0.62 V μm −1 (at 1 μA cm −2 ) and a high field enhancement factor β of 13,000. A model of the graphene/DWCNT composite films is proposed, which indicate that a certain amount of graphene will contribute the electron transmission in the silver substrate/composite films interface and in the interior of composite films, and finally improve the electron emission performance of the graphene/DWCNT composite films.

  13. Surface-plasmon enhanced photoemission of a silver nano-patterned photocathode

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Z.; Li, R.; To, H.; Andonian, G.; Pirez, E.; Meade, D.; Maxson, J.; Musumeci, P.

    2017-09-01

    Nano-patterned photocathodes (NPC) take advantage of plasmonic effects to resonantly increase absorption of light and localize electromagnetic field intensity on metal surfaces leading to surface-plasmon enhanced photoemission. In this paper, we report the status of NPC research at UCLA including in particular the optimization of the dimensions of a nanohole array on a silver wafer to enhance plasmonic response at 800 nm light, the development of a spectrally-resolved reflectivity measurement setup for quick nanopattern validation, and of a novel cathode plug to enable high power tests of NPCs on single crystal substrates in a high gradient radiofrequency gun.

  14. Target-triggered signal turn-on detection of prostate specific antigen based on metal-enhanced fluorescence of Ag@SiO2@SiO2-RuBpy composite nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Yun-Liang; Xu, Dang-Dang; Pang, Dai-Wen; Tang, Hong-Wu

    2017-02-01

    A three-layer core-shell nanostructure consisting of a silver core, a silica spacer, and a fluorescent dye RuBpy-doped outer silica layer was fabricated, and the optimal metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF) distance was explored through adjusting the thickness of the silica spacer. The results show that the optimal distance is ˜10.4 nm with the maximum fluorescence enhancement factor 2.12. Then a new target-triggered MEF ‘turn-on’ strategy based on the optimized composite nanoparticles was successfully constructed for quantitative detection of prostate specific antigen (PSA), by using RuBpy as the energy donor and BHQ-2 as the acceptor. The hybridization of the complementary DNA of PSA-aptamer immobilized on the surface of the MEF nanoparticles with PSA-aptamer modified with BHQ-2, brought BHQ-2 in close proximity to RuBpy-doped silica shell and resulted in the decrease of fluorescence. In the presence of target PSA molecules, the BHQ-PSA aptamer is dissociated from the surface of the nanoparticles with the fluorescence switched on. Therefore, the assay of PSA was achieved by measuring the varying fluorescence intensity. The results show that PSA can be detected in the range of 1-100 ng ml-1 with a detection limit of 0.20 ng ml-1 (6.1 pM), which is 6.7-fold increase of that using hollow RuBpy-doped silica nanoparticles. Moreover, satisfactory results were obtained when PSA was detected in 1% serum.

  15. A fluorescence spectroscopy study of traditional Chinese medicine Angelica

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Hongyan; Song, Feng; Liu, Shujing; Chen, Guiyang; Wei, Chen; Liu, Yanling; Liu, Jiadong

    2013-10-01

    By measuring the fluorescence spectra of Chinese medicine (CM) Angelica water solutions with different concentrations from 0.025 to 2.5 mg/mL, results showed that the fluorescence intensity was proportional to the concentration. Through fluorescence spectra of Angelica solution under different pH values, results indicated coumarin compounds were the active ingredients of Angelica. We also observed fluorescence quenching of the Angelica solution in the presence of spherical silver nanoparticles with radius of 12 nm. Keeping a certain value for the volume of the silver nanoparticles, the fluorescence intensity at 402 nm was linearly proportional to the Angelica in the range of 1-3 mg/mL.

  16. Adulterations in first century BC: the case of Greek silver drachmae analyzed by X-ray methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Constantinescu, Bogdan; Săşianu, Alexandru; Bugoi, Roxana

    2003-04-01

    For coins, chemical differences that occur during preparation affect the elemental composition and can be used to identify the producing technologies and workshops and to distinguish between originals and counterfeits. In this study, we focus our attention on some Thassos silver tetradrachmae and on an important number of Apollonia-Dyrrhachium silver drachmae emitted by these Greek cities under Pompejus authority during the First Roman Civil War. All the analyzed coins were found on the territory of present Romania (ancient Dacia). The important presence of Apollonia-Dyrrhachium drachmae here can be explained by the hypothesis that these coins were probably used by Pompejus as payment for Dacian mercenaries. To analyze the elemental composition we used: 241Am gamma source based X-ray fluorescence and in vacuum 3 MeV protons particle induced X-ray emission. The following main categories were found: original coins, local (Barbarian) imitations, debased coins with silver content down to 70%, official (original dies) counterfeits of bronze, official counterfeits of tin, and plated coins—a bronze core covered by a 0.2-0.5 mm silver layer.

  17. Adulterations in first century BC: the case of Greek silver drachmae analyzed by X-ray methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Constantinescu, Bogdan; Sasianu, Alexandru; Bugoi, Roxana

    2003-01-01

    For coins, chemical differences that occur during preparation affect the elemental composition and can be used to identify the producing technologies and workshops and to distinguish between originals and counterfeits. In this study, we focus our attention on some Thassos silver tetradrachmae and on an important number of Apollonia-Dyrrhachium silver drachmae emitted by these Greek cities under Pompejus authority during the First Roman Civil War. All the analyzed coins were found on the territory of present Romania (ancient Dacia). The important presence of Apollonia-Dyrrhachium drachmae here can be explained by the hypothesis that these coins were probably used by Pompejus as payment for Dacian mercenaries. To analyze the elemental composition we used: 241 Am gamma source based X-ray fluorescence and in vacuum 3 MeV protons particle induced X-ray emission. The following main categories were found: original coins, local (Barbarian) imitations, debased coins with silver content down to 70%, official (original dies) counterfeits of bronze, official counterfeits of tin, and plated coins--a bronze core covered by a 0.2-0.5 mm silver layer

  18. Adulterations in first century BC: the case of Greek silver drachmae analyzed by X-ray methods

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Constantinescu, Bogdan E-mail: bconst@sun3vme.nipne.robconst@ifin.nipne.ro; Sasianu, Alexandru; Bugoi, Roxana

    2003-04-18

    For coins, chemical differences that occur during preparation affect the elemental composition and can be used to identify the producing technologies and workshops and to distinguish between originals and counterfeits. In this study, we focus our attention on some Thassos silver tetradrachmae and on an important number of Apollonia-Dyrrhachium silver drachmae emitted by these Greek cities under Pompejus authority during the First Roman Civil War. All the analyzed coins were found on the territory of present Romania (ancient Dacia). The important presence of Apollonia-Dyrrhachium drachmae here can be explained by the hypothesis that these coins were probably used by Pompejus as payment for Dacian mercenaries. To analyze the elemental composition we used: {sup 241}Am gamma source based X-ray fluorescence and in vacuum 3 MeV protons particle induced X-ray emission. The following main categories were found: original coins, local (Barbarian) imitations, debased coins with silver content down to 70%, official (original dies) counterfeits of bronze, official counterfeits of tin, and plated coins--a bronze core covered by a 0.2-0.5 mm silver layer.

  19. Upconverting fluorescent nanoparticles for biodetection and photoactivation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Kai; Li, WenKai; Jayakumar, Muthu Kumara Gnanasammandhan; Zhang, Yong

    2013-03-01

    Fluorophores including fluorescent dyes/proteins and quantum dots (QDs) are used for fluorescence-based imaging and detection. These are based on `downconversion fluorescence' and have several drawbacks: photobleaching, autofluorescence, short tissue penetration depth and tissue photo-damage. Upconversion fluorescent nanoparticles (UCNs) emit detectable photons of higher energy in the short wavelength range upon irradiation with near-infrared (NIR) light based on a process termed `upconversion'. UCNs show absolute photostability, negligible autofluorescence, high penetration depth and minimum photodamage to biological tissues. Lanthanide doped nanocrystals with nearinfrared NIR-to-NIR and/or NIR-to-VIS and/or NIR-to-UV upconversion fluorescence emission have been synthesized. The nanocrystals with small size and tunable multi-color emission have been developed. The emission can be tuned by doping different upconverting lanthanide ions into the nanocrystals. The nanocrystals with core-shell structure have also been prepared to tune the emission color. The surfaces of these nanocrystals have been modified to render them water dispersible and biocompatible. They can be used for ultrasensitive interference-free biodetection because most biomolecules do not have upconversion properties. UCNs are also useful for light based therapy with enhanced efficiency, for example, photoactivation.

  20. Enhancement of the fluorescence of the samarium (III) complex by gadolinium (III)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yun-Xiang, C.; Zhang-Hua, L.

    1988-01-01

    The increase in sensitivity and selectivity of reactions in which colored species are formed by the addition of different metal ions is an area of research that has recently been developed. This phenomenon, which is sometimes called cocolaration effect, has been explained by the formation of mixed metal complex. The authors found an analogous phenomenon of reactions forming fluorescent complexes. The complexes of Sm(III)-thenoyltrifluoroacetone (TTA)-phenanthroline (Phen)-Triton-X-100 (TX-100) and Gd(III) (or La(III), Lu(III) and Y(III))-TTA-Phen-TX-100 had practically no fluorescence separately. Instead, a fluorescence-enhancement phenomenon caused by adding Gd or La, Lu and Y ions to the system was observed for the first time. The intensity of the enhanced fluorescence of Sm(III) complex was increased in the following order: La< Y< Lu< Gd. By analogy with cocoloration effect, the authors call this new fluorescence-enhancement phenomenon the co-fluorescence effect. The object of this work was to study the enhancement effect of Gd(III) on the fluorescence of the Sm(III)-TTA-Phen-TX-100 system. The recommended fluorimetric method has been applied to the determination of trace amounts of samarium in ytterbium oxide with satisfactory results. A general reaction mechanism for the system studied was proposed

  1. Rapid, green synthesis and surface-enhanced Raman scattering effect of single-crystal silver nanocubes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mao, Aiqin; Jin, Xia; Gu, Xiaolong; Wei, Xiaoqing; Yang, Guojing

    2012-08-01

    Single-crystal silver (Ag) nanocubes have been synthesized by a rapid and green method at room temperature by adding sodium hydroxide solution to the mixed solutions of silver nitrate, glucose and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). The X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet-visible (UV-visible) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize the phase composition and morphology. The results showed that the as-prepared particles were single-crystal Ag nanocubes with edge lengths of around 77 nm and a growing direction along {1 0 0} facets. As substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) experiment on crystal violet (CV), the SERS enhancement factor of the as-prepared Ag nanocubes were measured to be 5.5 × 104, indicating potential applications in chemical and biological analysis.

  2. Multifunctional silver nanoparticle-doped silica for solid-phase extraction and surface-enhanced Raman scattering detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Markina, Natalia E.; Markin, Alexey V.; Zakharevich, Andrey M.; Gorin, Dmitry A.; Rusanova, Tatiana Yu.; Goryacheva, Irina Yu.

    2016-12-01

    Multifunctional silica gel with embedded silver nanoparticles (SiO2-AgNP) is proposed for application as sorbent for solid-phase extraction (SPE) and simultaneously as substrate for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) due to their high sorption properties and ability to enhance Raman signal (SERS-active sorbents). SiO2-AgNP was synthesized via alkaline hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate with simultaneous reduction of silver ions to silver nanoparticles (AgNP) within the SiO2 bulk. Synthesis of AgNP directly to the SiO2 matrix enables to exclude any additional stabilizers for the nanoparticles that educes signal-to-noise ratio during SERS measurement. Apart from Raman spectroscopy, obtained sorbents were also characterized by scanning electron microscopy and UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The influence of AgNO3 concentration used during the SiO2-AgNP synthesis on its gelling time, color, diffuse reflectance spectra, and enhancement of Raman signal was investigated. A Raman enhancement factor of SiO2-AgNP with optimal composition was around 105. Finally, the sorbents were applied for SPE and subsequent SERS detection of model compounds (rhodamine 6G and folic acid). It was found that SPE enables to decrease detectable concentrations by two orders. Therefore, SPE combined with SERS has high potential for further analytical investigations.

  3. Multifunctional silver nanoparticle-doped silica for solid-phase extraction and surface-enhanced Raman scattering detection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Markina, Natalia E.; Markin, Alexey V., E-mail: av-markin@mail.ru; Zakharevich, Andrey M.; Gorin, Dmitry A.; Rusanova, Tatiana Yu.; Goryacheva, Irina Yu. [Saratov State University (Russian Federation)

    2016-12-15

    Multifunctional silica gel with embedded silver nanoparticles (SiO{sub 2}–AgNP) is proposed for application as sorbent for solid-phase extraction (SPE) and simultaneously as substrate for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) due to their high sorption properties and ability to enhance Raman signal (SERS-active sorbents). SiO{sub 2}–AgNP was synthesized via alkaline hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate with simultaneous reduction of silver ions to silver nanoparticles (AgNP) within the SiO{sub 2} bulk. Synthesis of AgNP directly to the SiO{sub 2} matrix enables to exclude any additional stabilizers for the nanoparticles that educes signal-to-noise ratio during SERS measurement. Apart from Raman spectroscopy, obtained sorbents were also characterized by scanning electron microscopy and UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The influence of AgNO{sub 3} concentration used during the SiO{sub 2}–AgNP synthesis on its gelling time, color, diffuse reflectance spectra, and enhancement of Raman signal was investigated. A Raman enhancement factor of SiO{sub 2}–AgNP with optimal composition was around 10{sup 5}. Finally, the sorbents were applied for SPE and subsequent SERS detection of model compounds (rhodamine 6G and folic acid). It was found that SPE enables to decrease detectable concentrations by two orders. Therefore, SPE combined with SERS has high potential for further analytical investigations.

  4. Enhanced antimicrobial activities of silver-nanoparticle-decorated reduced graphene nanocomposites against oral pathogens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Jian-Min; Lin, Jia-Cheng; Chen, Zhuo-Yu; Wei, Meng-Chao; Fu, Yuan-Xiang; Lu, Shu-Shen; Yu, Dong-Sheng; Zhao, Wei

    2017-02-01

    As a means of capitalizing on the synergistic properties between reduced graphene nanosheets (R-GNs) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), an efficient and convenient chemical reduction method was used to prepare silver-nanoparticle-decorated reduced graphene nanocomposites (R-GNs/Ag). The products were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy, which confirmed the loading of well-dispersed silver nanoparticles on reduced graphene sheets. Their antimicrobial activities against oral pathogens such as Candida albicans, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Streptococcus mutans, and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans were investigated by MIC determination, the counting of colony-forming units (CFU), agar diffusion tests, and growth curve observation. Compared with pure R-GNs and AgNPs, R-GNs/Ag composites exhibited enhanced antimicrobial properties owing to highly dispersed AgNPs on R-GNs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Tm3+/Yb3+ co-doped tellurite glass with silver nanoparticles for 1.85 μm band laser material

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Bo; Zhou, Yaxun; Cheng, Pan; Zhou, Zizhong; Li, Jun; Jin, Wei

    2016-10-01

    Tm3+/Yb3+ co-doped tellurite glasses with different silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) concentrations were prepared using the conventional melt-quenching technique and characterized by the UV/Vis/NIR absorption spectra, 1.85 μm band fluorescence emission spectra, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images, differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) curves and X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns to investigate the effects of Ag NPs on the 1.85 μm band spectroscopic properties of Tm3+ ions, thermal stability and structural nature of glass hosts. Under the excitation of 980 nm laser diode (LD), the 1.85 μm band fluorescence emission of Tm3+ ions enhances significantly in the presence of Ag NPs with average diameter of ∼8 nm and local surface Plasmon resonance (LSPR) band of ∼590 nm, which is mainly attributed to the increased local electric field induced by Ag NPs at the proximity of doped rare-earth ions on the basis of energy transfer from Yb3+ to Tm3+ ions. An improvement by about 110% of fluorescence intensity is observed in the Tm3+/Yb3+ co-doped tellurite glass containing 0.5 mol% amount of AgNO3 while the prepared glass samples possess good thermal stability and amorphous structural nature. Meanwhile, the Judd-Ofelt intensity parameters Ωt (t = 2,4,6), spontaneous radiative transition probabilities, fluorescence branching ratios and radiative lifetimes of relevant excited levels of Tm3+ ions were determined based on the Judd-Ofelt theory to reveal the enhanced effects of Ag NPs on the 1.85 μm band spectroscopic properties, and the energy transfer micro-parameters and phonon contribution ratios were calculated based on the non-resonant energy transfer theory to elucidate the energy transfer mechanism between Yb3+ and Tm3+ ions. The present results indicate that the prepared Tm3+/Yb3+ co-doped tellurite glass with an appropriate amount of Ag NPs is a promising lasing media applied for 1.85 μm band solid-state lasers and amplifiers.

  6. Saturated excitation of Fluorescence to quantify excitation enhancement in aperture antennas

    KAUST Repository

    Aouani, Heykel

    2012-07-23

    Fluorescence spectroscopy is widely used to probe the electromagnetic intensity amplification on optical antennas, yet measuring the excitation intensity amplification is a challenge, as the detected fluorescence signal is an intricate combination of excitation and emission. Here, we describe a novel approach to quantify the electromagnetic amplification in aperture antennas by taking advantage of the intrinsic non linear properties of the fluorescence process. Experimental measurements of the fundamental f and second harmonic 2f amplitudes of the fluorescence signal upon excitation modulation are used to quantify the electromagnetic intensity amplification with plasmonic aperture antennas. © 2012 Optical Society of America.

  7. Saturated excitation of Fluorescence to quantify excitation enhancement in aperture antennas

    KAUST Repository

    Aouani, Heykel; Hostein, Richard; Mahboub, Oussama; Devaux, Eloï se; Rigneault, Hervé ; Ebbesen, Thomas W.; Wenger, Jé rô me

    2012-01-01

    Fluorescence spectroscopy is widely used to probe the electromagnetic intensity amplification on optical antennas, yet measuring the excitation intensity amplification is a challenge, as the detected fluorescence signal is an intricate combination of excitation and emission. Here, we describe a novel approach to quantify the electromagnetic amplification in aperture antennas by taking advantage of the intrinsic non linear properties of the fluorescence process. Experimental measurements of the fundamental f and second harmonic 2f amplitudes of the fluorescence signal upon excitation modulation are used to quantify the electromagnetic intensity amplification with plasmonic aperture antennas. © 2012 Optical Society of America.

  8. Effect of poly-α, γ, L-glutamic acid as a capping agent on morphology and oxidative stress-dependent toxicity of silver nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stevanović, Magdalena; Kovačević, Branimir; Petković, Jana; Filipič, Metka; Uskoković, Dragan

    2011-01-01

    Highly stable dispersions of nanosized silver particles were synthesized using a straightforward, cost-effective, and ecofriendly method. Nontoxic glucose was utilized as a reducing agent and poly-α, γ, L-glutamic acid (PGA), a naturally occurring anionic polymer, was used as a capping agent to protect the silver nanoparticles from agglomeration and render them biocompatible. Use of ammonia during synthesis was avoided. Our study clearly demonstrates how the concentration of the capping agent plays a major role in determining the dimensions, morphology, and stability, as well as toxicity of a silver colloidal solution. Hence, proper optimization is necessary to develop silver colloids of narrow size distribution. The samples were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and zeta potential measurement. MTT assay results indicated good biocompatibility of the PGA-capped silver nanoparticles. Formation of intracellular reactive oxygen species was measured spectrophotometrically using 2,7-dichlorofluorescein diacetate as a fluorescent probe, and it was shown that the PGA-capped silver nanoparticles did not induce intracellular formation of reactive oxygen species. PMID:22131829

  9. The synthesis of four-layer gold-silver-polymer-silver core-shell nanomushroom with inbuilt Raman molecule for surface-enhanced Raman scattering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Tao; Wang, Xiaolong; Zhou, Jun

    2017-12-01

    A facial two-step reduction method was proposed to synthesize four-layer gold-silver-polymer-silver (Au@Ag@PSPAA@Ag) core-shell nanomushrooms (NMs) with inbuilt Raman molecule. The surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) intensity of 4MBA adhered on the surface of Au core gradually increased with the modification of middle Ag shell and then Ag mushroom cap due to the formation of two kinds of ultra-small interior nanogap. Compared with the initial Au nanoparticles, the SERS enhancement ratio of the Au@Ag@PSPAA@Ag NMs approached to nearly 40. The novel core-shell NMs also exhibited homogeneous SERS signals for only one sample and reproducible signals for 10 different samples, certified by the low relative standard deviation values of less than 10% and 15% for the character peaks of 4-mercaptobenzoic acid, respectively. Such a novel four-layer core-shell nanostructure with reliable SERS performance has great potential application in quantitative SERS-based immunoassay.

  10. Synthesis and characterization of silver-copper core-shell nanoparticles using polyol method for antimicrobial agent

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hikmah, N.; Idrus, N. F.; Jai, J.; Hadi, A.

    2016-06-01

    Silver and copper nanoparticles are well-known as the good antimicrobial agent. The nano-size of particles influences in enhancing the antimicrobial activity. This paper discusses the effect of molarity on the microstructure and morphology of silver-copper core-shell nanoparticles prepared by a polyol method. In this study, silver-copper nanoparticles are synthesized through the green approach of polyol method using ethylene glycol (EG) as green solvent and reductant, and polyoxyethylene-(80)-sorbitan monooleate (Tween 80) as a nontoxic stabilizer. The phase and morphology of silver-copper nanoparticles are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and Transmission electron microscope (TEM). The results XRD confirm the pure crystalline of silver and copper nanoparticles with face-centered cubic (FCC) structure. FESEM and TEM analysis confirm the existence of Ag and Cu nanoparticles in core-shell shape.

  11. The hoard of Becin - non-destructive analysis of the silver coins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodrigues, M.; Schreiner, M.; Melcher, M.; Maeder, M.; Guerra, M.; Salomon, J.; Radtke, M.; Alram, M.; Schindel, N.

    2010-01-01

    We report the results of an analytical investigation on 416 silver-copper coins stemming from the Ottoman Empire (end of 16th and beginning of 17th centuries), using synchrotron micro X-ray fluorescence analysis (SRXRF). In the past, analyses had already been conducted with energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis (EDXRF), scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM/EDX) and proton induced X-ray emission spectroscopy (PIXE). With this combination of techniques it was possible to confirm the fineness of the coinage as well as to study the provenance of the alloy used for the coins. For the interpretation of the data statistical analysis (principal component analysis - PCA) has been performed. A definite local assignment was explored and significant clustering was obtained regarding the minor and trace elements composing the coin alloys. (orig.)

  12. Chiral Recognition by Fluorescence: One Measurement for Two Parameters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shanshan Yu

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This outlook describes two strategies to simultaneously determine the enantiomeric composition and concentration of a chiral substrate by a single fluorescent measurement. One strategy utilizes a pseudoenantiomeric sensor pair that is composed of a 1,1′-bi-2-naphthol-based amino alcohol and a partially hydrogenated 1,1′-bi-2-naphthol-based amino alcohol. These two molecules have the opposite chiral configuration with fluorescent enhancement at two different emitting wavelengths when treated with the enantiomers of mandelic acid. Using the sum and difference of the fluorescent intensity at the two wavelengths allows simultaneous determination of both concentration and enantiomeric composition of the chiral acid. The other strategy employs a 1,1′-bi-2-naphthol-based trifluoromethyl ketone that exhibits fluorescent enhancement at two emission wavelengths upon interaction with a chiral diamine. One emission responds mostly to the concentration of the chiral diamine and the ratio of the two emissions depends on the chiral configuration of the enantiomer but independent of the concentration, allowing both the concentration and enantiomeric composition of the chiral diamine to be simultaneously determined. These strategies would significantly simplify the practical application of the enantioselective fluorescent sensors in high-throughput chiral assay.

  13. Broadband infrared absorption enhancement by electroless-deposited silver nanoparticles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gritti, Claudia; Raza, Søren; Kadkhodazadeh, Shima

    2017-01-01

    Decorating semiconductor surfaces with plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) is considered a viable solution for enhancing the absorptive properties of photovoltaic and photodetecting devices. We propose to deposit silver NPs on top of a semiconductor wafer by a cheap and fast electroless plating technique......, which points to the possible applications of such deposition method for harvesting photons in nanophotonics and photovoltaics. The broadband absorption is a consequence of the resonant behavior of particles with different shapes and sizes, which strongly localize the incident light at the interface...

  14. Parallel excitation-emission multiplexed fluorescence lifetime confocal microscopy for live cell imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Ming; Li, Yu; Peng, Leilei

    2014-05-05

    We present a novel excitation-emission multiplexed fluorescence lifetime microscopy (FLIM) method that surpasses current FLIM techniques in multiplexing capability. The method employs Fourier multiplexing to simultaneously acquire confocal fluorescence lifetime images of multiple excitation wavelength and emission color combinations at 44,000 pixels/sec. The system is built with low-cost CW laser sources and standard PMTs with versatile spectral configuration, which can be implemented as an add-on to commercial confocal microscopes. The Fourier lifetime confocal method allows fast multiplexed FLIM imaging, which makes it possible to monitor multiple biological processes in live cells. The low cost and compatibility with commercial systems could also make multiplexed FLIM more accessible to biological research community.

  15. Ultrasensitive near-infrared fluorescence-enhanced probe for in vivo nitroreductase imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yuhao; Sun, Yun; Li, Jiachang; Su, Qianqian; Yuan, Wei; Dai, Yu; Han, Chunmiao; Wang, Qiuhong; Feng, Wei; Li, Fuyou

    2015-05-20

    Nitroreductase (NTR) can be overexpressed in hypoxic tumors, thus the selective and efficient detection of NTR is of great importance. To date, although a few optical methods have been reported for the detection of NTR in solution, an effective optical probe for NTR monitoring in vivo is still lacking. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent detection probe for NTR. In this study, five NIR cyanine dyes with fluorescence reporting structure decorated with different nitro aromatic groups, Cy7-1-5, have been designed and explored for possible rapid detection of NTR. Our experimental results presented that only a para-nitro benzoate group modified cyanine probe (Cy7-1) could serve as a rapid NIR fluorescence-enhanced probe for monitoring and bioimaging of NTR. The structure-function relationship has been revealed by theoretical study. The linker connecting the detecting and fluorescence reporting groups and the nitro group position is a key factor for the formation of hydrogen bonds and spatial structure match, inducing the NTR catalytic ability enhancement. The in vitro response and mechanism of the enzyme-catalyzed reduction of Cy7-1 have been investigated through kinetic optical studies and other methods. The results have indicated that an electro-withdrawing group induced electron-transfer process becomes blocked when Cy7-1 is catalytically reduced to Cy7-NH2 by NTR, which is manifested in enhanced fluorescence intensity during the detection process. Confocal fluorescence imaging of hypoxic A549 cells has confirmed the NTR detection ability of Cy7-1 at the cellular level. Importantly, Cy7-1 can detect tumor hypoxia in a murine hypoxic tumor model, showing a rapid and significant enhancement of its NIR fluorescence characteristics suitable for fluorescence bioimaging. This method may potentially be used for tumor hypoxia diagnosis.

  16. A Hoard of Silver Currency from Achaemenid Babylon

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Reade, Julian

    1986-01-01

    Analytical appendix by M.J. Hughes and M.R. Cowell of some 25 silver items, both sheets and coins, from the hoard, includes analysis by x-ray fluorescence and atomic absorption spectroscopy. All items are of fairly good silver, with one or two parts of copper, and substantial traces of gold and a...

  17. Potential of Biosynthesized Silver Nanoparticles as Nanocatalyst for Enhanced Degradation of Cellulose by Cellulase

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bipinchandra K. Salunke

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs as a result of their excellent optical and electronic properties are promising catalytic materials for various applications. In this study, we demonstrate a novel approach for enhanced degradation of cellulose using biosynthesized AgNPs in an enzyme catalyzed reaction of cellulose hydrolysis by cellulase. AgNPs were synthesized through reduction of silver nitrate by extracts of five medicinal plants (Mentha arvensis var. piperascens, Buddleja officinalis Maximowicz, Epimedium koreanum Nakai, Artemisia messer-schmidtiana Besser, and Magnolia kobus. An increase of around twofold in reducing sugar formation confirmed the catalytic activity of AgNPs as nanocatalyst. The present study suggests that immobilization of the enzyme onto the surface of the AgNPs can be useful strategy for enhanced degradation of cellulose, which can be utilized for diverse industrial applications.

  18. Fluorescence of Bacteria, Pollens, and Naturally Occurring Airborne Particles: Excitation/Emission Spectra

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Hill, Steven C; Mayo, Michael W; Chang, Richard K

    2009-01-01

    The fluorescence intensity as a function of excitation and emission wavelengths (EEM spectra) was measured for different species of bacteria, biochemical constituents of cells, pollens, and vegetation...

  19. Determination of elemental distribution in green micro-algae using synchrotron radiation nano X-ray fluorescence (SR-nXRF) and electron microscopy techniques--subcellular localization and quantitative imaging of silver and cobalt uptake by Coccomyxa actinabiotis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leonardo, T; Farhi, E; Boisson, A-M; Vial, J; Cloetens, P; Bohic, S; Rivasseau, C

    2014-02-01

    The newly discovered unicellular micro-alga Coccomyxa actinabiotis proves to be highly radio-tolerant and strongly concentrates radionuclides, as well as large amounts of toxic metals. This study helps in the understanding of the mechanisms involved in the accumulation and detoxification of silver and cobalt. Elemental distribution inside Coccomyxa actinabiotis cells was determined using synchrotron nano X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy at the ID22 nano fluorescence imaging beamline of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. The high resolution and high sensitivity of this technique enabled the assessment of elemental associations and exclusions in subcellular micro-algae compartments. A quantitative treatment of the scans was implemented to yield absolute concentrations of each endogenous and exogenous element with a spatial resolution of 100 nm and compared to the macroscopic content in cobalt and silver determined using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. The nano X-ray fluorescence imaging was complemented by transmission electron microscopy coupled to X-ray microanalysis (TEM-EDS), yielding differential silver distribution in the cell wall, cytosol, nucleus, chloroplast and mitochondria with unique resolution. The analysis of endogenous elements in control cells revealed that iron had a unique distribution; zinc, potassium, manganese, molybdenum, and phosphate had their maxima co-localized in the same area; and sulfur, copper and chlorine were almost homogeneously distributed among the whole cell. The subcellular distribution and quantification of cobalt and silver in micro-alga, assessed after controlled exposure to various concentrations, revealed that exogenous metals were mainly sequestered inside the cell rather than on mucilage or the cell wall, with preferential compartmentalization. Cobalt was homogeneously distributed outside of the chloroplast. Silver was localized in the cytosol at low concentration and in the whole cell excluding the

  20. Mitigating fluorescence spectral overlap in wide-field endoscopic imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hou, Vivian; Nelson, Leonard Y.; Seibel, Eric J.

    2013-01-01

    Abstract. The number of molecular species suitable for multispectral fluorescence imaging is limited due to the overlap of the emission spectra of indicator fluorophores, e.g., dyes and nanoparticles. To remove fluorophore emission cross-talk in wide-field multispectral fluorescence molecular imaging, we evaluate three different solutions: (1) image stitching, (2) concurrent imaging with cross-talk ratio subtraction algorithm, and (3) frame-sequential imaging. A phantom with fluorophore emission cross-talk is fabricated, and a 1.2-mm ultrathin scanning fiber endoscope (SFE) is used to test and compare these approaches. Results show that fluorophore emission cross-talk could be successfully avoided or significantly reduced. Near term, the concurrent imaging method of wide-field multispectral fluorescence SFE is viable for early stage cancer detection and localization in vivo. Furthermore, a means to enhance exogenous fluorescence target-to-background ratio by the reduction of tissue autofluorescence background is demonstrated. PMID:23966226

  1. Improvement of LOD in Fluorescence Detection with Spectrally Nonuniform Background by Optimization of Emission Filtering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galievsky, Victor A; Stasheuski, Alexander S; Krylov, Sergey N

    2017-10-17

    The limit-of-detection (LOD) in analytical instruments with fluorescence detection can be improved by reducing noise of optical background. Efficiently reducing optical background noise in systems with spectrally nonuniform background requires complex optimization of an emission filter-the main element of spectral filtration. Here, we introduce a filter-optimization method, which utilizes an expression for the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) as a function of (i) all noise components (dark, shot, and flicker), (ii) emission spectrum of the analyte, (iii) emission spectrum of the optical background, and (iv) transmittance spectrum of the emission filter. In essence, the noise components and the emission spectra are determined experimentally and substituted into the expression. This leaves a single variable-the transmittance spectrum of the filter-which is optimized numerically by maximizing SNR. Maximizing SNR provides an accurate way of filter optimization, while a previously used approach based on maximizing a signal-to-background ratio (SBR) is the approximation that can lead to much poorer LOD specifically in detection of fluorescently labeled biomolecules. The proposed filter-optimization method will be an indispensable tool for developing new and improving existing fluorescence-detection systems aiming at ultimately low LOD.

  2. Emission shaping in fluorescent proteins: role of electrostatics and π-stacking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Jae Woo; Rhee, Young Min

    2016-02-07

    For many decades, simulating the excited state properties of complex systems has been an intriguing but daunting task due to its high computational cost. Here, we apply molecular dynamics based techniques with interpolated potential energy surfaces toward calculating fluorescence spectra of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) and its variants in a statistically meaningful manner. With the GFP, we show that the diverse electrostatic tuning can shape the emission features in many different ways. By computationally modulating the electrostatic interactions between the chromophore phenoxy oxygen and its nearby residues, we demonstrate that we indeed can shift the emission to the blue or to the red side in a predictable manner. We rationalize the shifting effects of individual residues in the GFP based on the responses of both the adiabatic and the diabatic electronic states of the chromophore. We next exhibit that the yellow emitting variant, the Thr203Tyr mutant, generates changes in the electrostatic interactions and an additional π-stacking interaction. These combined effects indeed induce a red shift to emit the fluorescence into the yellow region. With the series of demonstrations, we suggest that our approach can provide sound rationales and useful insights in understanding different responses of various fluorescent complexes, which may be helpful in designing new light emitting proteins and other related systems in future studies.

  3. Monitoring organic loading to swimming pools by fluorescence excitation–emission matrix with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Seredynska-Sobecka, Bozena; Stedmon, Colin; Boe-Hansen, Rasmus

    2011-01-01

    Fluorescence Excitation–Emission Matrix spectroscopy combined with parallel factor analysis was employed to monitor water quality and organic contamination in swimming pools. The fluorescence signal of the swimming pool organic matter was low but increased slightly through the day. The analysis...... revealed that the organic matter fluorescence was characterised by five different components, one of which was unique to swimming pool organic matter and one which was specific to organic contamination. The latter component had emission peaks at 420nm and was found to be a sensitive indicator of organic...... loading in swimming pool water. The fluorescence at 420nm gradually increased during opening hours and represented material accumulating through the day....

  4. Enhancement of thermal stability of silver(I) acetylacetonate by platinum(II) acetylacetonate

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Křenek, T.; Kovářík, T.; Pola, M.; Jakubec, Ivo; Bezdička, Petr; Bastl, Zdeněk; Pokorná, Dana; Urbanová, Markéta; Galíková, Anna; Pola, Josef

    2013-01-01

    Roč. 554, FEB (2013), s. 1-7 ISSN 0040-6031 Institutional support: RVO:61388980 ; RVO:61388955 ; RVO:67985858 Keywords : thermal gravimetric analysis * differential scanning calorimetry * silver(I) acetylacetonate * platinum(II) acetylacetonate * enhancement of thermal stability Subject RIV: CA - Inorganic Chemistry; CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry (UFCH-W) Impact factor: 2.105, year: 2013

  5. A new terthiophene derivative as a fluorescent sensor for protein detection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hu, Jingqiu; Xia, Bing; Elioff, Michael S.

    2016-01-01

    A terthiophene carboxylic derivative, 3,3″-dihexyl-2,2′:5′,2″-terthiophene-5-carboxylic acid (3TC6A), was synthesized and its application as fluorescent biosensor was investigated using Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) and Lectin from Triticum as the target proteins. The photophysical properties of terthiophene carboxylic acid depend on the solvent polarity and the pH of the solution. At low concentrations, the dye exhibits monomer emission in organic solvents. In acidic and neutral aqueous solutions, it displays dimer emission (490–500 nm). The emission can be completely quenched by heptyl viologen in aqueous solutions due to intermolecular electron transfer. While no emission enhancement was observed in the presence of cytochrome C, hemoglobin, or lysozyme, upon binding to trace amounts of BSA, the dye displayed strongly enhanced monomer emission at 450 nm. Upon binding to Lectin from Triticum vulgaris, the dye displayed enhanced dimer emission at 490 nm. In both cases, the fluorescence intensity is proportional to the concentration of proteins, making this organic dye a promising reagent for protein analysis.

  6. A new terthiophene derivative as a fluorescent sensor for protein detection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hu, Jingqiu [Department of Chemistry, West Chester University of Pennsylvania, West Chester, PA 19383 (United States); Xia, Bing [RD Platform Technology & Science, GlaxoSmithKline, Waltham, MA 02451 (United States); Elioff, Michael S., E-mail: melioff@millersville.edu [Department of Chemistry, Millersville University of Pennsylvania, Millersville, PA 17551 (United States)

    2016-05-15

    A terthiophene carboxylic derivative, 3,3″-dihexyl-2,2′:5′,2″-terthiophene-5-carboxylic acid (3TC6A), was synthesized and its application as fluorescent biosensor was investigated using Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) and Lectin from Triticum as the target proteins. The photophysical properties of terthiophene carboxylic acid depend on the solvent polarity and the pH of the solution. At low concentrations, the dye exhibits monomer emission in organic solvents. In acidic and neutral aqueous solutions, it displays dimer emission (490–500 nm). The emission can be completely quenched by heptyl viologen in aqueous solutions due to intermolecular electron transfer. While no emission enhancement was observed in the presence of cytochrome C, hemoglobin, or lysozyme, upon binding to trace amounts of BSA, the dye displayed strongly enhanced monomer emission at 450 nm. Upon binding to Lectin from Triticum vulgaris, the dye displayed enhanced dimer emission at 490 nm. In both cases, the fluorescence intensity is proportional to the concentration of proteins, making this organic dye a promising reagent for protein analysis.

  7. Growth graphene on silver-copper nanoparticles by chemical vapor deposition for high-performance surface-enhanced Raman scattering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xiumei; Xu, Shicai; Jiang, Shouzhen; Wang, Jihua; Wei, Jie; Xu, Shida; Gao, Shoubao; Liu, Hanping; Qiu, Hengwei; Li, Zhen; Liu, Huilan; Li, Zhenhua; Li, Hongsheng

    2015-10-01

    We present a graphene/silver-copper nanoparticle hybrid system (G/SCNPs) to be used as a high-performance surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate. The silver-copper nanoparticles wrapped by a monolayer graphene layer are directly synthesized on SiO2/Si substrate by chemical vapor deposition in a mixture of methane and hydrogen. The G/SCNPs shows excellent SERS enhancement activity and high reproducibility. The minimum detected concentration of R6G is as low as 10-10 M and the calibration curve shows a good linear response from 10-6 to 10-10 M. The date fluctuations from 20 positions of one SERS substrate are less than 8% and from 20 different substrates are less than 10%. The high reproducibility of the enhanced Raman signals could be due to the presence of an ultrathin graphene layer and uniform morphology of silver-copper nanoparticles. The use of G/SCNPs for detection of nucleosides extracted from human urine demonstrates great potential for the practical applications on a variety of detection in medicine and biotechnology field.

  8. Spontaneous light emission in complex nanostructures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blanco, L. A.; García de Abajo, F. J.

    2004-05-01

    The spontaneous emission of an excited atom surrounded by different materials is studied in the framework of a semiclassical approach, where the transition dipole moment acts as the source of the emission field. The emission in the presence of semiinfinite media, metallic nanorings, spheres, gratings, and other complex geometries is investigated. Strong emission enhancement effects are obtained in some of these geometries associated to the excitation of plasmons (e.g., in nanorings or spheres). Furthermore, the emission is shown to take place only along narrow angular distributions when the atom is located inside a low-index dielectric and near its planar surface, or when metallic nanogratings are employed at certain resonant wave lengths. In particular, axially symmetric gratings made of real silver metal are considered, and both emission rate enhancement and focused far-field emission are achieved simultaneously when the grating is decorated with further nanostructures.

  9. Synthesis of silver nanocubes as a SERS substrate for the determination of pesticide paraoxon and thiram

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Bin; Zhang, Li; Zhou, Xia

    2014-03-01

    The silver cube-like nanostructure with uniform size and high yield have been synthesized through the rapid sulfide-mediated polyol method. The morphology, structure and optical properties of the as-prepared silver nanocubes were characterized by UV-Visible spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) performance of the as-prepared Ag nanocubes was characterized by crystal violet (CV) as the probe molecules. Furthermore, the low levels of thiram and pesticide paraoxon can be detected by the SERS technique, which shows that the silver nanocubes as a SERS substrate have excellent sensitivity and reproducibility.

  10. Multi-functional bio-compatible luminescent apatite with fatty acid passivated nano silver covers and its theranostics potential

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asha, S.; Nimrodh Ananth, A.; Vanitha Kumari, G.; Prakash, B.; Jose, Sujin P.; Jothi Rajan, M. A.

    2017-09-01

    Europium doped hydroxyapatite (EDA) nanorods with linoleic acid passivated silver ions on their surfaces were synthesized using facile, one-step hydrothermal route. Annealing the samples at 250 °C resulted in formation of ultra-small silver (USS) nanoparticles on the surface by nucleation through diffusion process. EDA exhibited luminescence properties due to the presence of europium ions doped on the calcium sites of hydroxyapatite. These EDA nanorods exhibited a different luminescent behavior in the presence of silver ions and USS nanoparticles. This report also demonstrates excellent biocompatibility and cytotoxicity of EDA nanorods with silver ions towards fibroblast cell lines (F929) and breast cancer cells (MCF-7). Visible and near infra-red (NIR) emissions in EDA, induced by silver ions and USS nanoparticles makes it a potential system for deep tissue imaging applications. The arrangement of USS over the EDA was tunable and hence the selectivity and enhancement of the Eu3+ ions emission can also be tuned. The multifunctional properties of this system such as its active luminescence over a wide range, its cell proliferation towards normal cells and cytotoxicity towards cancer cells shows its potential for application in cancer theranostics.

  11. Surface-enhanced raman spectroscopy of quinomethionate adsorbed on silver colloids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Mak Soon; Kang, Jae Soo; Park, Si Bum; Lee, Mu Sang

    2003-01-01

    We have studied the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) spectrum of quinomethionate (6-methyl-1,3-dithiolo(4,5-b)quinoxalin-2-one), which is an insecticide or fungicide used on vegetables and wheat. We observed no signals in the ordinary Raman spectra of solid-state quinomethionate, but when it was adsorbed on a colloidal silver surface, strong vibrational signals were obtained at a very low concentration. The SERS spectra were obtained by silver colloids prepared by the Creighton et al. method. The influence of pH and the aggregation inductors (Cl - , Br - , I - , F - ) on the adsorption mechanism was investigated. Two different adsorption mechanisms were deduced, depending on the experimental conditions: The one N atom or two N atoms are chemisorbed on an Ag surface. An important contribution of the chemical mechanism was inferred when the one N atom was perpendicularly adsorbed on a surface. It is possible that quinomethionate can be detected to about 10 -5 M

  12. Silver iodide reduction in aqueous solution: application to iodine enhanced separation during spent nuclear fuels reprocessing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Badie, Jerome

    2002-01-01

    Silver iodide is a key-compound in nuclear chemistry either in accidental conditions or during the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. In that case, the major part of iodine is released in molecular form into the gaseous phase at the time of dissolution in nitric acid. In French reprocessing plants, iodine is trapped in the dissolver off-gas treatment unit by two successive steps: the first consists in absorption by scrubbing with a caustic soda solution and in the second, residual iodine is removed from the gaseous stream before the stack by chemisorption on mineral porous traps made up of beds of amorphous silica or alumina porous balls impregnated with silver nitrate. Reactions of iodine species with the impregnant are assumed to lead to silver iodide and silver iodate. Enhanced separation policy would make necessary to recover iodine from the filters by silver iodide dissolution during a reducing treatment. After a brief silver-iodine chemical bibliographic review, the possible reagents listed in the literature were studied. The choice has been made to use ascorbic acid and hydroxylamine. An experimental work on silver iodide reduction by this two compounds allowed us to determinate reaction products, stoichiometry and kinetics parameters. Finally, the process has been initiated on stable iodine loaded filters samples. (author) [fr

  13. Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy of Dye and Thiol Molecules Adsorbed on Triangular Silver Nanostructures: A Study of Near-Field Enhancement, Localization of Hot-Spots, and Passivation of Adsorbed Carbonaceous Species

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manuel R. Gonçalves

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS of thiols and dye molecules adsorbed on triangular silver nanostructures was investigated. The SERS hot-spots are localized at the edges and corners of the silver triangular particles. AFM and SEM measurements permit to observe many small clusters formed at the edges of triangular particles fabricated by nanosphere lithography. Finite-element calculations show that near-field enhancements can reach values of more than 200 at visible wavelengths, in the gaps between small spherical particles and large triangular particles, although for the later no plasmon resonance was found at the wavelengths investigated. The regions near the particles showing strong near-field enhancement are well correlated with spatial localization of SERS hot-spots done by confocal microscopy. Silver nanostructures fabricated by thermal evaporation present strong and fast fluctuating SERS activity, due to amorphous carbon contamination. Thiols and dye molecules seem to be able to passivate the undesired SERS activity on fresh evaporated silver.

  14. Nonclassical polarization effects in fluorescence emission spectra from microdroplets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arnold, S.; Goddard, N. L.; Hill, S. C.

    1999-12-01

    We report a pronounced nonclassical polarization effect on the shape of fluorescence emission spectra from isolated microdroplets containing a dilute solution of soluble fluors or a dilute layer of surfactant fluors. We see different spectral shapes for 90° scattering when comparing between IVV, IVH, IHH, IHV. However, we measure the largest difference in spectral shape in the surfactant case, with the incident polarization directed toward the detector (IHV vs IHH). Imaging reveals that the emission in this case principally arises from two distinct regions near the surface of the droplet, which are diametrically opposed and along the axis of the incident laser beam. The effect appears to be the direct result of coupling between molecular emission moments and electromagnetic modes of the droplet. It is not the molecule which radiates but the molecule microvessel. Directional emission is sensitive to the polarization of the electromagnetic mode which is stimulated by the coupling.

  15. Real-time monitoring of the Trojan-horse effect of silver nanoparticles by using a genetically encoded fluorescent cell sensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    You, Fang; Tang, Wenqin; Yung, Lin-Yue Lanry

    2018-04-26

    Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely incorporated into commercial products due to their antimicrobial properties. As a consequence, concerns about the adverse effects induced by AgNPs to humans and the environment need to be carefully examined. The existing literature reveals that AgNPs exhibit certain toxic effects, but it remains to be proved whether AgNPs or the ionic silver (Ag+) released from AgNPs are the main toxic species. Here, a genetically encoded fluorescent protein sensor with high affinity to Ag+ was developed. The resulting sensor, MT2a-FRET, was found to be ratiometric, sensitive and selective toward only Ag+ but inert against AgNPs. This makes this sensor a potential useful tool for monitoring the real-time intracellular dissolutions of AgNPs. Our data supported that AgNPs display the "Trojan-horse" mechanism, where AgNPs are internalized by cells and undergo dissolution intracellularly. We further found that cells exhibited a detoxification ability to remove active Ag+ from cells in 48 hours.

  16. Silver Nanoparticle-Based Fluorescence-Quenching Lateral Flow Immunoassay for Sensitive Detection of Ochratoxin A in Grape Juice and Wine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Hu; Li, Xiangmin; Xiong, Ying; Pei, Ke; Nie, Lijuan; Xiong, Yonghua

    2017-01-01

    A silver nanoparticle (AgNP)-based fluorescence-quenching lateral flow immunoassay with competitive format (cLFIA) was developed for sensitive detection of ochratoxin A (OTA) in grape juice and wine samples in the present study. The Ru(phen)32+-doped silica nanoparticles (RuNPs) were sprayed on the test and control line zones as background fluorescence signals. The AgNPs were designed as the fluorescence quenchers of RuNPs because they can block the exciting light transferring to the RuNP molecules. The proposed method exhibited high sensitivity for OTA detection, with a detection limit of 0.06 µg/L under optimized conditions. The method also exhibited a good linear range for OTA quantitative analysis from 0.08 µg/L to 5.0 µg/L. The reliability of the fluorescence-quenching cLFIA method was evaluated through analysis of the OTA-spiked red grape wine and juice samples. The average recoveries ranged from 88.0% to 110.0% in red grape wine and from 92.0% to 110.0% in grape juice. Meanwhile, less than a 10% coefficient variation indicated an acceptable precision of the cLFIA method. In summary, the new AgNP-based fluorescence-quenching cLFIA is a simple, rapid, sensitive, and accurate method for quantitative detection of OTA in grape juice and wine or other foodstuffs. PMID:28264472

  17. Silver Nanoparticle-Based Fluorescence-Quenching Lateral Flow Immunoassay for Sensitive Detection of Ochratoxin A in Grape Juice and Wine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hu Jiang

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available A silver nanoparticle (AgNP-based fluorescence-quenching lateral flow immunoassay with competitive format (cLFIA was developed for sensitive detection of ochratoxin A (OTA in grape juice and wine samples in the present study. The Ru(phen 3 2 + -doped silica nanoparticles (RuNPs were sprayed on the test and control line zones as background fluorescence signals. The AgNPs were designed as the fluorescence quenchers of RuNPs because they can block the exciting light transferring to the RuNP molecules. The proposed method exhibited high sensitivity for OTA detection, with a detection limit of 0.06 µg/L under optimized conditions. The method also exhibited a good linear range for OTA quantitative analysis from 0.08 µg/L to 5.0 µg/L. The reliability of the fluorescence-quenching cLFIA method was evaluated through analysis of the OTA-spiked red grape wine and juice samples. The average recoveries ranged from 88.0% to 110.0% in red grape wine and from 92.0% to 110.0% in grape juice. Meanwhile, less than a 10% coefficient variation indicated an acceptable precision of the cLFIA method. In summary, the new AgNP-based fluorescence-quenching cLFIA is a simple, rapid, sensitive, and accurate method for quantitative detection of OTA in grape juice and wine or other foodstuffs.

  18. Characterization of dissolved organic matter in fogwater by excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Birdwell, J.E.; Valsaraj, K.T.

    2010-01-01

    Dissolved organic matter (DOM) present in fogwater samples collected in southeastern Louisiana and central-eastern China has been characterized using excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy. The goal of the study was to illustrate the utility of fluorescence for obtaining information on the large fraction of organic carbon in fogwaters (typically >40% by weight) that defies characterization in terms of specific chemical compounds without the difficulty inherent in obtaining sufficient fogwater volume to isolate DOM for assessment using other spectroscopic and chemical analyses. Based on the findings of previous studies using other characterization methods, it was anticipated that the unidentified organic carbon fraction would have characteristic peaks associated with humic substances and fluorescent amino acids. Both humic- and protein-like fluorophores were observed in the fogwater spectra and fluorescence-derived indices for the fogwater had similar values to those of soil and sediment porewater. Greater biological character was observed in samples with higher organic carbon concentrations. Fogwaters are shown to contain a mixture of terrestrially- and microbially-derived fluorescent organic material, which is expected to be derived from an array of different sources, such as suspended soil and dust particles, biogenic emissions and organic substances generated by atmospheric processes. The fluorescence results indicate that much of the unidentified organic carbon present in fogwater can be represented by humic-like and biologically-derived substances similar to those present in other aquatic systems, though it should be noted that fluorescent signatures representative of DOM produced by atmospheric processing of organic aerosols may be contributing to or masked by humic-like fluorophores. ?? 2010.

  19. Differentiation of ocular fundus fluorophores by fluorescence lifetime imaging using multiple excitation and emission wavelengths

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hammer, M.; Schweitzer, D.; Schenke, S.; Becker, W.; Bergmann, A.

    2006-10-01

    Ocular fundus autofluorescence imaging has been introduced into clinical diagnostics recently. It is in use for the observation of the age pigment lipofuscin, a precursor of age - related macular degeneration (AMD). But other fluorophores may be of interest too: The redox pair FAD - FADH II provides information on the retinal energy metabolism, advanced glycation end products (AGE) indicate protein glycation associated with pathologic processes in diabetes as well as AMD, and alterations in the fluorescence of collagen and elastin in connective tissue give us the opportunity to observe fibrosis by fluorescence imaging. This, however, needs techniques able to differentiate particular fluorophores despite limited permissible ocular exposure as well as excitation wavelength (limited by the transmission of the human ocular lens to >400 nm). We present an ophthalmic laser scanning system (SLO), equipped with picosecond laser diodes (FWHM 100 ps, 446 nm or 468 nm respectively) and time correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) in two emission bands (500 - 560 nm and 560 - 700 nm). The decays were fitted by a bi-exponential model. Fluorescence spectra were measured by a fluorescence spectrometer fluorolog. Upon excitation at 446 nm, the fluorescence of AGE, FAD, and lipofuscin were found to peak at 503 nm, 525 nm, and 600 nm respectively. Accordingly, the statistical distribution of the fluorescence decay times was found to depend on the different excitation wavelengths and emission bands used. The use of multiple excitation and emission wavelengths in conjunction with fluorescence lifetime imaging allows us to discriminate between intrinsic fluorophores of the ocular fundus. Taken together with our knowledge on the anatomical structure of the fundus, these findings suggest an association of the short, middle and long fluorescence decay time to the retinal pigment epithelium, the retina, and connective tissue respectively.

  20. Single-Molecule Detection in Nanogap-Embedded Plasmonic Gratings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Biyan Chen

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available We introduce nanogap-embedded silver plasmonic gratings for single-molecule (SM visualization using an epifluorescence microscope. This silver plasmonic platform was fabricated by a cost-effective nano-imprint lithography technique, using an HD DVD template. DNA/ RNA duplex molecules tagged with Cy3/Cy5 fluorophores were immobilized on SiO 2 -capped silver gratings. Light was coupled to the gratings at particular wavelengths and incident angles to form surface plasmons. The SM fluorescence intensity of the fluorophores at the nanogaps showed approximately a 100-fold mean enhancement with respect to the fluorophores observed on quartz slides using an epifluorescence microscope. This high level of enhancement was due to the concentration of surface plasmons at the nanogaps. When nanogaps imaged with epifluorescence mode were compared to quartz imaged using total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF microscopy, more than a 30-fold mean enhancement was obtained. Due to the SM fluorescence enhancement of plasmonic gratings and the correspondingly high emission intensity, the required laser power can be reduced, resulting in a prolonged detection time prior to photobleaching. This simple platform was able to perform SM studies with a low-cost epifluorescence apparatus, instead of the more expensive TIRF or confocal microscopes, which would enable SM analysis to take place in most scientific laboratories.

  1. The role of secondary electrons in some experiments determining fluorescence emission from nitrogen C3Πu levels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blanco, F.; Arqueros, F.

    2005-01-01

    The processes involved in fluorescence emission from C 3 Π u levels of N 2 molecule by electron impact are studied. Secondary electrons are shown to play an important role in typical experiments for the measurement of emission cross sections and fluorescence yields, dominating at high impact energies. A simple model is proposed which accounts for fluorescence measurements in a wide range of experimental conditions, and in particular for some recent results up to 1 GeV energies

  2. Platinum plasmonic nanostructure arrays for massively parallel single-molecule detection based on enhanced fluorescence measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saito, Toshiro; Takahashi, Satoshi; Obara, Takayuki; Itabashi, Naoshi; Imai, Kazumichi

    2011-01-01

    We fabricated platinum bowtie nanostructure arrays producing fluorescence enhancement and evaluated their performance using two-photon photoluminescence and single-molecule fluorescence measurements. A comprehensive selection of suitable materials was explored by electromagnetic simulation and Pt was chosen as the plasmonic material for visible light excitation near 500 nm, which is preferable for multicolor dye-labeling applications like DNA sequencing. The observation of bright photoluminescence (λ = 500-600 nm) from each Pt nanostructure, induced by irradiation at 800 nm with a femtosecond laser pulse, clearly indicates that a highly enhanced local field is created near the Pt nanostructure. The attachment of a single dye molecule was attempted between the Pt triangles of each nanostructure by using selective immobilization chemistry. The fluorescence intensities of the single dye molecule localized on the nanostructures were measured. A highly enhanced fluorescence, which was increased by a factor of 30, was observed. The two-photon photoluminescence intensity and fluorescence intensity showed qualitatively consistent gap size dependence. However, the average fluorescence enhancement factor was rather repressed even in the nanostructure with the smallest gap size compared to the large growth of photoluminescence. The variation of the position of the dye molecule attached to the nanostructure may influence the wide distribution of the fluorescence enhancement factor and cause the rather small average value of the fluorescence enhancement factor.

  3. Enhanced Light Output of Dipole Source in GaN-Based Nanorod Light-Emitting Diodes by Silver Localized Surface Plasmon

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huamao Huang

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The light output of dipole source in three types of light-emitting diodes (LEDs, including the conventional planar LED, the nanorod LED, and the localized surface plasmon (LSP assisted LED by inserting silver nanoparticles in the gaps between nanorods, was studied by use of two-dimensional finite difference time domain method. The height of nanorod and the size of silver nanoparticles were variables for discussion. Simulation results show that a large height of nanorod induces strong wavelength selectivity, which can be significantly enhanced by LSP. On condition that the height of nanorod is 400 nm, the diameter of silver nanoparticle is 100 nm, and the wavelength is 402.7 nm, the light-output efficiency for LSP assisted LED is enhanced by 190% or 541% as compared to the nanorod counterpart or the planar counterpart, respectively. The space distribution of Poynting vector was present to demonstrate the significant enhancement of light output at the resonant wavelength of LSP.

  4. Spatially controlled fabrication of a bright fluorescent nanodiamond-array with enhanced far-red Si-V luminescence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Sonal; Thomas, Vinoy; Martyshkin, Dmitry; Kozlovskaya, Veronika; Kharlampieva, Eugenia; Catledge, Shane A

    2014-01-31

    We demonstrate a novel approach to precisely pattern fluorescent nanodiamond-arrays with enhanced far-red intense photostable luminescence from silicon-vacancy (Si-V) defect centers. The precision-patterned pre-growth seeding of nanodiamonds is achieved by a scanning probe 'dip-pen' nanolithography technique using electrostatically driven transfer of nanodiamonds from 'inked' cantilevers to a UV-treated hydrophilic SiO2 substrate. The enhanced emission from nanodiamond dots in the far-red is achieved by incorporating Si-V defect centers in a subsequent chemical vapor deposition treatment. The development of a suitable nanodiamond ink and mechanism of ink transport, and the effect of humidity and dwell time on nanodiamond patterning are investigated. The precision patterning of as-printed (pre-CVD) arrays with dot diameter and dot height as small as 735 nm ± 27 nm and 61 nm ± 3 nm, respectively, and CVD-treated fluorescent ND-arrays with consistently patterned dots having diameter and height as small as 820 nm ± 20 nm and, 245 nm ± 23 nm, respectively, using 1 s dwell time and 30% RH is successfully achieved. We anticipate that the far-red intense photostable luminescence (~738 nm) observed from Si-V defect centers integrated in spatially arranged nanodiamonds could be beneficial for the development of next generation fluorescence-based devices and applications.

  5. Fabrication of Au{sub nanoparticle}@mSiO{sub 2}@Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Eu nanocomposites with enhanced fluorescence

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Huiqin [Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule Chemistry (Ministry of Education), Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Physico-Inorganic Chemistry, College of Chemistry & Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi' an, 710069 (China); College of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Baoji University of Arts & Sciences, Baoji, 721013 (China); Kang, Jianmiao [Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule Chemistry (Ministry of Education), Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Physico-Inorganic Chemistry, College of Chemistry & Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi' an, 710069 (China); Yang, Jianhui, E-mail: jianhui@nwu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule Chemistry (Ministry of Education), Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Physico-Inorganic Chemistry, College of Chemistry & Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi' an, 710069 (China); Wu, Biao, E-mail: wubiao@nwu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule Chemistry (Ministry of Education), Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Physico-Inorganic Chemistry, College of Chemistry & Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi' an, 710069 (China)

    2016-07-15

    Herein, Au{sub nanoparticle}@mSiO{sub 2}@Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Eu nanocomposites are synthesized through layer-by-layer assembly technology. Au{sub nanoparticle}@mSiO{sub 2} core–shell nanospheres were prepared at first in the presence of CTAB in aqueous solution system by the modified one-pot method. A chemical precipitation method and a succeeding calcination process were adopted to the growth of Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Eu shells on the surfaces of Au{sub nanoparticle}@mSiO{sub 2} core–shell nanospheres. The structure, morphology and composition of the nanocomposites were confirmed by XRD, TEM and UV–vis absorption spectrum. The prepared Au{sub nanoparticle}@mSiO{sub 2}@Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Eu nanocomposites have showed the emission intensity enhances to 6.23 times at 30 nm thickness of the silica spacer between the core of Au nanoparticle and the shell of Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Eu. According to the observations of fluorescent lifetime and the modeling of local electric field, the metal-enhanced and quenched fluorescence is closely related with the enhancement of excitation and radiative decay rate and the quenching by NRET comes as a result of competition between the distance-dependent mechanisms. This kind of multifunctional inorganic material will be widely used in electronics, biology and medical drug loading, etc. - Highlights: • Fabrication of Au{sub nanoparticle}@mSiO{sub 2}@Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Eu nanocomposites with core-spacer-shell structure. • The controllable fluorescence is achieved by adjusting the spacer thickness of silica. • The fluorescence enhancement is 6.23-fold at an optimal spacer thickness about 30 nm. • The metal-enhanced fluorescence mechanism is proposed.

  6. The injury and cumulative effects on human skin by UV exposure from artificial fluorescence emission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Yan; Liu, Wei; Niu, TianHui; Dai, CaiHong; Li, Xiaoxin; Cui, Caijuan; Zhao, Xinyan; E, Yaping; Lu, Hui

    2014-01-01

    The injury and cumulative effects of UV emission from fluorescence lamp were studied. UV intensity from fluorescence lamp was measured, and human skin samples (hips, 10 volunteers) were exposed to low-dose UV irradiation (three times per week for 13 consecutive weeks). Three groups were examined: control group without UV radiation; low-dose group with a cumulative dose of 50 J cm(-2) which was equivalent to irradiation of the face during indoor work for 1.5 years; and high-dose group with 1000 J cm(-2) cumulative dose equivalent to irradiation of the face during outdoor activities for 1 year. Specific indicators were measured before and after UVA irradiation. The findings showed that extending the low-dose UVA exposure decreased the skin moisture content and increased the transepidermal water loss as well as induced skin color changes (decreased L* value, increased M index). Furthermore, irradiated skin showed an increased thickness of cuticle and epidermis, skin edema, light color and unclear staining collagen fibers in the dermis, and elastic fiber fragmentation. In addition, MMP-1, p53 and SIRT1 expression was also increased. Long-term exposure of low-dose UVA radiation enhanced skin photoaging. The safety of the fluorescent lamp needs our attention. © 2014 The American Society of Photobiology.

  7. Resonant Scanning with Large Field of View Reduces Photobleaching and Enhances Fluorescence Yield in STED Microscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Yong; Wu, Xundong; Lu, Rong; Zhang, Jin; Toro, Ligia; Stefani, Enrico

    2015-10-01

    Photobleaching is a major limitation of superresolution Stimulated Depletion Emission (STED) microscopy. Fast scanning has long been considered an effective means to reduce photobleaching in fluorescence microscopy, but a careful quantitative study of this issue is missing. In this paper, we show that the photobleaching rate in STED microscopy can be slowed down and the fluorescence yield be enhanced by scanning with high speed, enabled by using large field of view in a custom-built resonant-scanning STED microscope. The effect of scanning speed on photobleaching and fluorescence yield is more remarkable at higher levels of depletion laser irradiance, and virtually disappears in conventional confocal microscopy. With ≥6 GW∙cm(-2) depletion irradiance, we were able to extend the fluorophore survival time of Atto 647N and Abberior STAR 635P by ~80% with 8-fold wider field of view. We confirm that STED Photobleaching is primarily caused by the depletion light acting upon the excited fluorophores. Experimental data agree with a theoretical model. Our results encourage further increasing the linear scanning speed for photobleaching reduction in STED microscopy.

  8. Activity of Antimicrobial Silver Polystyrene Nanocomposites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Palomba

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available A simple technique based on doping polymers with in situ generated silver nanoparticles (Ag/PS films has been developed. In particular, an antiseptic material has been prepared by dissolving silver 1,5-cyclooctadiene-hexafluoroacetylacetonate in amorphous polystyrene, and the obtained solid solution has been heated for ca. 10 s at a convenient temperature (180°C. Under such conditions the metal precursor decomposes producing silver atoms that diffuse into the polymer and clusterize. The antimicrobial characteristics of the resulting polystyrene-based material have been accurately evaluated toward Escherichia coli (E. coli comparing the cytotoxicity effect of 10 wt.% and 30 wt.% (drastic and mild annealing silver-doped polystyrene to the corresponding pure micrometric silver powder. Two different bacterial viability assays were performed in order to demonstrate the cytotoxic effect of Ag/PS films on cultured E. coli: (1 turbidimetric determination of optical density; (2 BacLight fluorescence-based test. Both methods have shown that silver-doped polystyrene (30 wt.% provides higher antibacterial activity than pure Ag powder, under similar concentration and incubation conditions.

  9. Ultrafast spontaneous emission modulation of graphene quantum dots interacting with Ag nanoparticles in solution

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhao, Jianwei [Department of Physics, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444 (China); Research Center of Quantum Macro-Phenomenon and Application, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210 (China); Lu, Jian, E-mail: luj@sari.ac.cn; Wang, Zhongyang, E-mail: wangzy@sari.ac.cn [Research Center of Quantum Macro-Phenomenon and Application, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210 (China); Wang, Liang [School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444 (China); Institute of Nanochemistry and Nanobiology, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444 (China); Tian, Linfan [Research Center of Quantum Macro-Phenomenon and Application, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210 (China); School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210 (China); Deng, Xingxia [Research Center of Quantum Macro-Phenomenon and Application, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210 (China); School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Tian, Lijun [Department of Physics, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444 (China); Pan, Dengyu [School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444 (China)

    2016-07-11

    We investigated the strong interaction between graphene quantum dots and silver nanoparticles in solution using time-resolved photoluminescence techniques. In solution, the silver nanoparticles are surrounded by graphene quantum dots and interacted with graphene quantum dots through exciton-plasmon coupling. An ultrafast spontaneous emission process (lifetime 27 ps) was observed in such a mixed solution. This ultrafast lifetime corresponds to the emission rate exceeding 35 GHz, with the purcell enhancement by a factor of ∼12. These experiment results pave the way for the realization of future high speed light sources applications.

  10. Direct and Indirect Electron Emission from the Green Fluorescent Protein Chromophore

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toker, Y.; Rahbek, D. B.; Klærke, B.; Bochenkova, A. V.; Andersen, L. H.

    2012-09-01

    Photoelectron spectra of the deprotonated green fluorescent protein chromophore have been measured in the gas phase at several wavelengths within and beyond the S0-S1 photoabsorption band of the molecule. The vertical detachment energy (VDE) was determined to be 2.68±0.1eV. The data show that the first electronically excited state is bound in the Franck-Condon region, and that electron emission proceeds through an indirect (resonant) electron-emission channel within the corresponding absorption band.

  11. A KIND OF FLUORESCENCE PROBE TO STUDY THE KINETICS OF POLYMERIZATION PROCESS

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    YANG Guoqiang; WU Shikang

    1994-01-01

    Fluorescence properties of 1-phenyl-3-(4'-nitrophenyl) pyrazoline (PNP) were studied in bulk polymerization process of methylmethacrylate (MMA). The fluorescence intensity of PNP was enhanced and the emission maximum was blue shifted with the polymerization progress. In the period of auto-acceleration of the polymerization the enhancement of fluorescence intensity and blue shift of peak wavelength in spectra could be observed evidently. This means that the solvatochromic properties of PNP are influenced not only by the solvent polarity but also by the viscosity of the medium(especially by the phase transition). In solid state PNP emits from the charge transfer excited state without solvent relaxation. The transient emission spectra and the results from Bakhshiev model of solvent relaxation coincide with that from the polymerization experiment.

  12. Highly Stable Monocrystalline Silver Clusters for Plasmonic Applications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Novikov, Sergey M.; Popok, Vladimir N.; Evlyukhin, Andrey B.

    2017-01-01

    Plasmonic sensor configurations utilizing localized plasmon resonances in silver nanostructures typically suffer from the rapid degradation of silver under ambient atmospheric conditions. In this work, we report on the fabrication and detailed characterization of ensembles of monocrystalline silver......-beam technique and characterized by linear spectroscopy, two-photon-excited photoluminescence, surface-enhanced Raman scattering microscopy, and transmission electron, helium ion, and atomic force microscopies. It is found that the fabricated ensembles of monocrystalline silver NPs preserve their plasmonic...... properties (monitored with optical spectroscopy) and strong field enhancements (revealed by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy) at least 5 times longer as compared to chemically synthesized silver NPs with similar sizes. The obtained results are of high practical relevance for the further development...

  13. Synergistic Combination of Unquenching and Plasmonic Fluorescence Enhancement in Fluorogenic Nucleic Acid Hybridization Probes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vietz, Carolin; Lalkens, Birka; Acuna, Guillermo P; Tinnefeld, Philip

    2017-10-11

    Fluorogenic nucleic acid hybridization probes are widely used for detecting and quantifying nucleic acids. The achieved sensitivity strongly depends on the contrast between a quenched closed form and an unquenched opened form with liberated fluorescence. So far, this contrast was improved by improving the quenching efficiency of the closed form. In this study, we modularly combine these probes with optical antennas used for plasmonic fluorescence enhancement and study the effect of the nanophotonic structure on the fluorescence of the quenched and the opened form. As quenched fluorescent dyes are usually enhanced more by fluorescence enhancement, a detrimental reduction of the contrast between closed and opened form was anticipated. In contrast, we could achieve a surprising increase of the contrast with full additivity of quenching of the dark form and fluorescence enhancement of the bright form. Using single-molecule experiments, we demonstrate that the additivity of the two mechanisms depends on the perfect quenching in the quenched form, and we delineate the rules for new nucleic acid probes for enhanced contrast and absolute brightness. Fluorogenic hybridization probes optimized not only for quenching but also for the brightness of the open form might find application in nucleic acid assays with PCR avoiding detection schemes.

  14. Carbon dots based dual-emission silica nanoparticles as ratiometric fluorescent probe for nitrite determination in food samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiang, Guoqiang; Wang, Yule; Zhang, Heng; Fan, Huanhuan; Fan, Lu; He, Lijun; Jiang, Xiuming; Zhao, Wenjie

    2018-09-15

    In this work, a simple and effective strategy for designing a ratiometric fluorescent nanosensor was described. A carbon dots (CDs) based dual-emission nanosensor for nitrite was prepared by coating the CDs on to dye-doped silica nanoparticles. Dual-emission silica nanoparticles fluorescence was quenched in sulfuric acid using potassium bromate (KBrO 3 ). The nitrite present catalyzed the KBrO 3 oxidation, resulting in ratiometric fluorescence response of the dual-emission silica nanoparticles. Several important parameters affecting the performance of the nanosensor were investigated. Under optimized conditions, the limit of detection was 1.0 ng mL -1 and the linear range 10-160 ng mL -1 . Furthermore, the sensor was suitable for nitrite determination in different food samples. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Enhancement of antidandruff activity of shampoo by biosynthesized silver nanoparticles from Solanum trilobatum plant leaf

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pant, Gaurav; Nayak, Nitesh; Gyana Prasuna, R.

    2013-10-01

    The present investigation describes simple and effective method for synthesis of silver nanoparticles via green route. Solanum trilobatum Linn extract were prepared by both conventional and homogenization method. We optimized the production of silver nanoparticles under sunlight, microwave and room temperature. The best results were obtained with sunlight irradiation, exhibiting 15-20 nm silver nanoparticles having cubic and hexagonal shape. Biosynthesized nanoparticles were highly toxic to various bacterial strains tested. In this study we report antibacterial activity against various Gram negative ( Klebsiella pneumoniae, Vibrio cholerae and Salmonella typhi) and Gram positive ( Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus and Micrococcus luteus) bacterial strains. Screening was also performed for any antifungal properties of the nanoparticles against human pathogenic fungal strains ( Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis). We also demonstrated that these nanoparticles when mixed with shampoo enhance the anti-dandruff effect against dandruff causing fungal pathogens ( Pityrosporum ovale and Pityrosporum folliculitis). The present study showed a simple, rapid and economical route to synthesize silver nanoparticles and their applications hence has a great potential in biomedical field.

  16. Diphenylacrylonitrile-connected BODIPY dyes: fluorescence enhancement based on dark and AIE resonance energy transfer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Liangbin; Lin, Xiaoru; Guo, Hongyu; Yang, Fafu

    2017-07-19

    This study focuses on the construction of novel diphenylacrylonitrile-connected BODIPY dyes with high fluorescence in both solution and an aggregated state by combining DRET and FRET processes in a single donor-acceptor system. The first BODIPY derivatives with one, two, or three AIE-active diphenylacrylonitrile groups were designed and synthesized in moderate yields. Strong fluorescence emissions were observed in the THF solution under excitation at the absorption wavelength of non-emissive diphenylacrylonitrile chromophores, implying the existence of the DRET process between the dark diphenylacrylonitrile donor and the emissive BODIPY acceptor. In the THF/H 2 O solution, the fluorescence intensity of the novel BODIPY derivatives gradually increased under excitation at the absorption wavelength of diphenylacrylonitrile chromophores, suggesting a FRET process between diphenylacrylonitrile and BODIPY moieties. A greater number of diphenylacrylonitrile units led to higher energy-transfer efficiencies. The pseudo-Stokes shift for both DRET and FRET processes was as large as 190 nm.

  17. Highly stable polymer coated nano-clustered silver plates: a multimodal optical contrast agent for biomedical imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ray, Aniruddha; Mukundan, Ananya; Karamchand, Leshern; Kopelman, Raoul; Xie, Zhixing; Wang, Xueding

    2014-01-01

    Here, we present a new optical contrast agent based on silver nanoplate clusters embedded inside of a polymer nano matrix. Unlike nanosphere clusters, which have been well studied, nanoplate clusters have unique properties due to the different possible orientations of interaction between the individual plates, resulting in a significant broadening of the absorption spectra. These nanoclusters were immobilized inside of a polymer cladding so as to maintain their stability and optical properties under in vivo conditions. The polymer-coated silver nanoplate clusters show a lower toxicity compared to the uncoated nanoparticles. At high nanoparticle concentrations, cell death occurs mostly due to apoptosis. These nanoparticles were used for targeted fluorescence imaging in a rat glioma cell line by incorporating a fluorescent dye into the matrix, followed by conjugation of a tumor targeting an F3 peptide. We further used these nanoparticles as photoacoustic contrast agents in vivo to enhance the contrast of the vasculature structures in a rat ear model. We observed a contrast enhancement of over 90% following the nanoparticle injection. It is also shown that these NPs can serve as efficient contrast agents, with specific targeting abilities for broadband multimodal imaging that are usable for diagnostic applications and that extend into use as therapeutic agents as well. (paper)

  18. Fluorescence Enhancement of Fluorescent Unnatural Streptavidin by Binding of a Biotin Analogue with Spacer Tail and Its Application to Biotin Sensing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xianwei Zhu

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available We designed a novel molecular biosensing system for the detection of biotin, an important vitamin by the combination of fluorescent unnatural streptavidin with a commercialized biotin-(AC52-hydrazide. A fluorescent unnatural amino acid, BODIPY-FL-aminophenylalanine (BFLAF, was position-specifically incorporated into Trp120 of streptavidin by four-base codon method. Fluorescence of the Trp120BFLAF mutant streptavidin was enhanced by the addition of biotin-(AC52-hydrazide with the concentration dependent, whereas fluorescence enhancement was not observed at all by the addition of natural biotin. It was considered that the spacer tail of biotin-(AC52-hydrazide may disturb the fluorescence quenching of the Trp120BFLAF by Trp79 and Trp108 of the neighbor subunit. Therefore, biotin sensing was carried out by the competitive binding reaction of biotin-(AC52-hydrazide and natural biotin to the fluorescent mutant streptavidin. The fluorescence intensity decreased by increasing free biotin concentration. The result suggested that molecular biosensor for small ligand could be successfully designed by the pair of fluorescent mutant binding protein and ligand analogue.

  19. Photon enhanced thermionic emission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwede, Jared; Melosh, Nicholas; Shen, Zhixun

    2014-10-07

    Photon Enhanced Thermionic Emission (PETE) is exploited to provide improved efficiency for radiant energy conversion. A hot (greater than 200.degree. C.) semiconductor cathode is illuminated such that it emits electrons. Because the cathode is hot, significantly more electrons are emitted than would be emitted from a room temperature (or colder) cathode under the same illumination conditions. As a result of this increased electron emission, the energy conversion efficiency can be significantly increased relative to a conventional photovoltaic device. In PETE, the cathode electrons can be (and typically are) thermalized with respect to the cathode. As a result, PETE does not rely on emission of non-thermalized electrons, and is significantly easier to implement than hot-carrier emission approaches.

  20. Surface-enhanced Raman difference between bombesin and its modified analogues on the colloidal and electrochemically roughen silver surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Podstawka, Edyta; Ozaki, Yukihiro

    2008-10-01

    In this article, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra of bombesin (BN) and its six modified analogues ([D-Phe(12)]BN, [Tyr(4)]BN, [Tyr(4),D-Phe(12)]BN, [D-Phe(12),Leu(14)]BN, [Leu(13)-(R)-Leu(14)]BN, and [Lys(3)]BN) on a colloidal silver surface are reported and compared with SERS spectra of these species immobilized onto an ellectrochemically roughen silver electrode. Changes in enhancement and wavenumber of proper bands upon adsorption on different silver surfaces are consistent with BN and its analogues adsorption primarily through Trp(8). Slightly different adsorption states of these molecules are observed depending upon natural amino acids substitution. For example, the indole ring in all the peptides interacts with silver nanoparticles in a edge-on orientation. It is additionally coordinated to the silver through the N(1)--H bond for all the peptides, except [Phe(12)]BN. This is in contrary to the results obtained for the silver roughen electrode that show direct but not strong N(1)--H/Ag interaction for all peptides except [D-Phe(12),Leu(14)]BN and [Leu(13)-(R)-Leu(14)]BN. For BN only C==O is not involved in the chemical coordination with the colloidal surface. [Lys(3)]BN and BN also adsorb with the C--N bond of NH(2) group normal and horizontal, respectively, to the colloidal surface, whereas C--NH(2) in other peptides is tilted to this surface. Also, the Trp(8) --CH(2)-- moiety of only [Tyr(4)]BN, [Lys(3)]BN, and [Tyr(4),D-Phe(12)]BN coordinates to Ag, whereas the Phe(12) ring of [Phe(12)]BN, [Tyr(4),D-Phe(12)]BN, and [D-Phe(12),Leu(14)]BN assists in the peptides binding only on the colloidal silver. (c) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  1. Plasmon enhanced fluorescence with aggregated shell-isolated nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osorio-Román, Igor O; Guerrero, Ariel R; Albella, Pablo; Aroca, Ricardo F

    2014-10-21

    Shell-isolated nanoparticles (SHINs) nanostructures provide a versatile substrate where the localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) are well-defined. For SHINEF, the silver (or gold) metal core is protected by the SiO2 coating, which is thicker than the critical distance for minimum quenching by the metal. In the present work, it is shown that an increase in the SHINEF enhancement factor may be achieved by inducing SHIN aggregation with electrolytes in solution. The proof of concept is demonstrated using NaCl as aggregating agent, although other inorganic salts will also aggregate SHIN nanoparticles. As much as a 10-fold enhancement in the SHINEF enhancement factor (EF) may be achieved by tuning the electrolyte concentrations in solution. The SHINEF experiments include the study of the aggregation effect controlling gold SHIN's surface concentration via spraying. Au-SHINs are sprayed onto layer-by-layer (LbL) and Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films, and samples are fabricated using fluorophores with low and also high quantum yield.

  2. Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy of Dye and Thiol Molecules Adsorbed on Triangular Silver Nano structures: A Study of Near-Field Enhancement, Localization of Hot-Spots, and Passivation of Adsorbed Carbonaceous Species

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goncalves, M.R.; Marti, O.; Fabian Enderle, F.

    2012-01-01

    Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) of thiols and dye molecules adsorbed on triangular silver nanostructures was investigated. The SERS hot-spots are localized at the edges and corners of the silver triangular particles. AFM and SEM measurements permit to observe many small clusters formed at the edges of triangular particles fabricated by nanosphere lithography. Finite-element calculations show that near-field enhancements can reach values of more than 200 at visible wavelengths, in the gaps between small spherical particles and large triangular particles, although for the later no plasmon resonance was found at the wavelengths investigated. The regions near the particles showing strong near-field enhancement are well correlated with spatial localization of SERS hot-spots done by confocal microscopy. Silver nanostructures fabricated by thermal evaporation present strong and fast fluctuating SERS activity, due to amorphous carbon contamination. Thiols and dye molecules seem to be able to passivate the undesired SERS activity on fresh evaporated silver. excitation: by far-field illumination of metal nanostructures or rough metal Raman scattering cross-section of gold-palladium target Temporal Fluctuation in SERS Temporal and spectral fluctuations.

  3. Measurement of fluorescence emission spectrum of few strongly driven atoms using an optical nanofiber.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Das, Manoj; Shirasaki, A; Nayak, K P; Morinaga, M; Le Kien, Fam; Hakuta, K

    2010-08-02

    We show that the fluorescence emission spectrum of few atoms can be measured by using an optical nanofiber combined with the optical heterodyne and photon correlation spectroscopy. The observed fluorescence spectrum of the atoms near the nanofiber shows negligible effects of the atom-surface interaction and agrees well with the Mollow triplet spectrum of free-space atoms at high excitation intensity.

  4. The HST-pNFL program: Mapping the Fluorescent Emission of Galactic Outflows

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heckman, Timothy

    2017-08-01

    Galactic outflows associated with star formation are believed to play a crucial role in the evolution of galaxies and the IGM. Most of our knowledge about outflows has come from down-the-barrel UV absorption spectroscopy of star-forming galaxies. However, absorption-line data alone provide only indirect information about the radial structure of the gas flows, which introduces large systematic uncertainties in some of the most important quantities, such as the outflow rate, the mass loading factor, and the momentum, metal, and energy fluxes. Recent spectroscopic observations of star-forming galaxies with large (projected physical) apertures have revealed non-resonant (fluorescent) emission in the UV, e.g., FeII* and SiII*, that can be naturally produced by spatially extended emission from the same outflowing material traced in absorption. Encouraged by the most recent observations of FeII* emission by the SDSS-IV/eBOSS survey (Zhu et al. 2015), we propose a pilot program to use narrow-band filter UVIS F280N images to map the extended FeII* 2626 and 2613 fluorescent emission in a carefully-chosen sample of 4 starburst galaxies at z=0.065, and COS G130M to obtain down-the- barrel spectra for SiII absorption and SiII* emission. This HST pilot program can provide unique information about the spatial structure of galactic outflows and can potentially lead to a revolution in our understanding of outflow physics and its impact on galaxies and the IGM.

  5. The enhanced cyan fluorescent protein: a sensitive pH sensor for fluorescence lifetime imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poëa-Guyon, Sandrine; Pasquier, Hélène; Mérola, Fabienne; Morel, Nicolas; Erard, Marie

    2013-05-01

    pH is an important parameter that affects many functions of live cells, from protein structure or function to several crucial steps of their metabolism. Genetically encoded pH sensors based on pH-sensitive fluorescent proteins have been developed and used to monitor the pH of intracellular compartments. The quantitative analysis of pH variations can be performed either by ratiometric or fluorescence lifetime detection. However, most available genetically encoded pH sensors are based on green and yellow fluorescent proteins and are not compatible with multicolor approaches. Taking advantage of the strong pH sensitivity of enhanced cyan fluorescent protein (ECFP), we demonstrate here its suitability as a sensitive pH sensor using fluorescence lifetime imaging. The intracellular ECFP lifetime undergoes large changes (32 %) in the pH 5 to pH 7 range, which allows accurate pH measurements to better than 0.2 pH units. By fusion of ECFP with the granular chromogranin A, we successfully measured the pH in secretory granules of PC12 cells, and we performed a kinetic analysis of intragranular pH variations in living cells exposed to ammonium chloride.

  6. Plasmon-enhanced second harmonic generation in semiconductor quantum dots close to metal nanoparticles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrea V. Bragas

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available We report the enhancement of the optical second harmonic signal in non-centrosymmetric semiconductor CdS quantum dots, when they are placed in close contact with isolated silver nanoparticles. The intensity enhancement is about 1000. We also show that the enhancement increases when the incoming laser frequency $omega$ is tuned toward the spectral position of the silver plasmon at $2omega$, proving that the silver nanoparticle modifies the nonlinear emission.Received: 8 March 2011, Accepted: 30 May 2011; Edited by: L. Viña; Reviewed by: R. Gordon, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada; DOI: 10.4279/PIP.030002Cite as: P. M. Jais, C. von Bilderling, A. V. Bragas, Papers in Physics 3, 030002 (2011

  7. Kinetics of bacterial fluorescence staining with 3,3'-diethylthiacyanine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Marlon S; Nuñez, Vicente; Upadhyayula, Srigokul; Zielins, Elizabeth R; Bao, Duoduo; Vasquez, Jacob M; Bahmani, Baharak; Vullev, Valentine I

    2010-06-15

    For more than a century, colorimetric and fluorescence staining have been the foundation of a broad range of key bioanalytical techniques. The dynamics of such staining processes, however, still remains largely unexplored. We investigated the kinetics of fluorescence staining of two gram-negative and two gram-positive species with 3,3'-diethylthiacyanine (THIA) iodide. An increase in the THIA fluorescence quantum yield, induced by the bacterial dye uptake, was the principal reason for the observed emission enhancement. The fluorescence quantum yield of THIA depended on the media viscosity and not on the media polarity, which suggested that the microenvironment of the dye molecules taken up by the cells was restrictive. The kinetics of fluorescence staining did not manifest a statistically significant dependence neither on the dye concentration, nor on the cell count. In the presence of surfactant additives, however, the fluorescence-enhancement kinetic patterns manifested species specificity with statistically significant discernibility.

  8. Growth of silver-coated gold nanoshells with enhanced linear and nonlinear optical responses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Ya-Fang; Wang, Jia-Hong; Ma, Liang; Nan, Fan; Cheng, Zi-Qiang; Zhou, Li, E-mail: zhouli@whu.edu.cn; Wang, Qu-Quan, E-mail: qqwang@whu.edu.cn [Wuhan University, Department of Physics, Key Laboratory of Artificial Miro- and Nano-structures of the Ministry of Education, and School of Physics and Technology (China)

    2015-03-15

    Silver-coated gold nanoshells with 1,4-BDT molecules as the spacer (Ag/BDT/Au) were synthesized on the surface of SiO{sub 2} nanospheres. The surface plasmon resonance of Au/SiO{sub 2} and Ag/BDT/Au/SiO{sub 2} nanoparticles with single and double shells were tuned by adjusting the thickness of Au and Ag nanoshells. The enhanced local field in the gap of Au and Ag shells is demonstrated by measuring Raman scattering and nonlinear refraction. The results show that the Raman intensity is enhanced by 17 times and the nonlinear refractive index is enhanced by 30 % due to the growth of Ag shells.

  9. Preparation of bismuth stannate/silver@silver chloride film samples with enhanced photocatalytic performance and self-cleaning ability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Xiaojuan; Lv, Xiang; Cui, Hongda; Wang, Tianhe

    2017-12-01

    We report a novel technique to fabricate bismuth stannate/silver@silver chloride (Bi 2 Sn 2 O 7 /Ag@AgCl) films on conventional glass substrates. The film exhibited a remarkable self-cleaning capability against organic dyes under visible light. Porous Bi 2 Sn 2 O 7 (BSO) film was first sintered on a glass substrate, followed by implantation of AgCl in it and photo-induction to produce Ag@AgCl. The degradation of organic dyes and photoelectrochemical studies indicate that, compared with BSO film, Bi 2 Sn 2 O 7 /Ag@AgCl film had a much improved photocatalytic ability, probably due to the enhanced electron transfer efficiency and synergistic effect of visible light absorption of the two semiconductors. The possible mechanism of this marked improvement was investigated and interpreted in terms of electrons and holes separation efficiency and charge circulation routes at the interfaces within the Bi 2 Sn 2 O 7 /Ag@AgCl composite film. The film provided in this study may well have practical applications due to its simplicity of preparation, excellent photocatalytic ability and reasonable stability. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  10. Spatially controlled fabrication of a bright fluorescent nanodiamond-array with enhanced far-red Si-V luminescence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, Sonal; Thomas, Vinoy; Kharlampieva, Eugenia; Catledge, Shane A; Martyshkin, Dmitry; Kozlovskaya, Veronika

    2014-01-01

    We demonstrate a novel approach to precisely pattern fluorescent nanodiamond-arrays with enhanced far-red intense photostable luminescence from silicon-vacancy (Si-V) defect centers. The precision-patterned pre-growth seeding of nanodiamonds is achieved by a scanning probe ‘dip-pen’ nanolithography technique using electrostatically driven transfer of nanodiamonds from ‘inked’ cantilevers to a UV-treated hydrophilic SiO 2 substrate. The enhanced emission from nanodiamond dots in the far-red is achieved by incorporating Si-V defect centers in a subsequent chemical vapor deposition treatment. The development of a suitable nanodiamond ink and mechanism of ink transport, and the effect of humidity and dwell time on nanodiamond patterning are investigated. The precision patterning of as-printed (pre-CVD) arrays with dot diameter and dot height as small as 735 nm ± 27 nm and 61 nm ± 3 nm, respectively, and CVD-treated fluorescent ND-arrays with consistently patterned dots having diameter and height as small as 820 nm ± 20 nm and, 245 nm ± 23 nm, respectively, using 1 s dwell time and 30% RH is successfully achieved. We anticipate that the far-red intense photostable luminescence (∼738 nm) observed from Si-V defect centers integrated in spatially arranged nanodiamonds could be beneficial for the development of next generation fluorescence-based devices and applications. (paper)

  11. Determination of sertraline in pharmaceutical and biological samples using 1, 10-phenanthroline-terbium probe and silver nanoparticles enhanced fluorescence

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lotfi, Ali, E-mail: alilotfi67@gmail.com [Young Researchers and Elite Club, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Manzoori, Jamshid L. [Department of Chemistry, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Mohagheghi, Arash [Clinical Psychiatry Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2017-05-15

    Sertraline is an antidepressant widely prescribed for major depressive disorders. In this contribution we report a novel, rapid and sensitive spectrofluorimetric technique, developed and validated for the determination of sertraline in pharmaceutical, human urine and human plasma samples, based on the fluorescence enhancement of the sertraline by 1, 10-phenanthroline-terbium probe with Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs). The effect of pH, buffer concentration, the order of addition of reagents, terbium and 1, 10-phenanthroline concentrations, and concentration of Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) as well as reaction time on the fluorescence intensity were investigated and the optimum conditions were determined. The linear range for determination of sertraline was obtained as 0.001–3 mg L{sup −1}. The limit of detection (b+3s) and the limit of quantification was calculated as 2.9×10{sup −4} mg L{sup −1} and 9.8×10{sup −4} mg L{sup −1}, respectively. The interference effects of common excipients found in pharmaceutical preparations were studied. The presented technique was used to determine the sertraline in pharmaceutical samples, human urine and plasma as real samples. The presented method was indicated a comparable results with the standard analytical techniques for sertraline. Good linearity, reproducibility, recovery and limit of detection have made this method suitable for determination of sertraline in various types of samples.

  12. Determination of sertraline in pharmaceutical and biological samples using 1, 10-phenanthroline-terbium probe and silver nanoparticles enhanced fluorescence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lotfi, Ali; Manzoori, Jamshid L.; Mohagheghi, Arash

    2017-01-01

    Sertraline is an antidepressant widely prescribed for major depressive disorders. In this contribution we report a novel, rapid and sensitive spectrofluorimetric technique, developed and validated for the determination of sertraline in pharmaceutical, human urine and human plasma samples, based on the fluorescence enhancement of the sertraline by 1, 10-phenanthroline-terbium probe with Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs). The effect of pH, buffer concentration, the order of addition of reagents, terbium and 1, 10-phenanthroline concentrations, and concentration of Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) as well as reaction time on the fluorescence intensity were investigated and the optimum conditions were determined. The linear range for determination of sertraline was obtained as 0.001–3 mg L −1 . The limit of detection (b+3s) and the limit of quantification was calculated as 2.9×10 −4 mg L −1 and 9.8×10 −4 mg L −1 , respectively. The interference effects of common excipients found in pharmaceutical preparations were studied. The presented technique was used to determine the sertraline in pharmaceutical samples, human urine and plasma as real samples. The presented method was indicated a comparable results with the standard analytical techniques for sertraline. Good linearity, reproducibility, recovery and limit of detection have made this method suitable for determination of sertraline in various types of samples.

  13. Silver-induced reconstruction of an adeninate-based metal-organic framework for encapsulation of luminescent adenine-stabilized silver clusters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jonckheere, Dries; Coutino-Gonzalez, Eduardo; Baekelant, Wouter; Bueken, Bart; Reinsch, Helge; Stassen, Ivo; Fenwick, Oliver; Richard, Fanny; Samorì, Paolo; Ameloot, Rob; Hofkens, Johan; Roeffaers, Maarten B J; De Vos, Dirk E

    2016-05-21

    Bright luminescent silver-adenine species were successfully stabilized in the pores of the MOF-69A (zinc biphenyldicarboxylate) metal-organic framework, starting from the intrinsically blue luminescent bio-MOF-1 (zinc adeninate 4,4'-biphenyldicarboxylate). Bio-MOF-1 is transformed to the MOF-69A framework by selectively leaching structural adenine linkers from the original framework using silver nitrate solutions in aqueous ethanol. Simultaneously, bright blue-green luminescent silver-adenine clusters are formed inside the pores of the recrystallized MOF-69A matrix in high local concentrations. The structural transition and concurrent changes in optical properties were characterized using a range of structural, physicochemical and spectroscopic techniques (steady-state and time-resolved luminescence, quantum yield determination, fluorescence microscopy). The presented results open new avenues for exploring the use of MOFs containing luminescent silver clusters for solid-state lighting and sensor applications.

  14. Enhanced-locality fiber-optic two-photon-fluorescence live-brain interrogation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fedotov, I. V.; Doronina-Amitonova, L. V. [International Laser Center, Physics Department, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119992 (Russian Federation); Russian Quantum Center, ul. Novaya 100, Skolkovo, Moscow Region 1430125 (Russian Federation); Kurchatov Institute National Research Center, Moscow (Russian Federation); Sidorov-Biryukov, D. A.; Fedotov, A. B. [International Laser Center, Physics Department, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119992 (Russian Federation); Russian Quantum Center, ul. Novaya 100, Skolkovo, Moscow Region 1430125 (Russian Federation); Anokhin, K. V. [Kurchatov Institute National Research Center, Moscow (Russian Federation); P.K. Anokhin Institute of Normal Physiology, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Moscow (Russian Federation); Kilin, S. Ya. [B.I. Stepanov Institute of Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Minsk (Belarus); Sakoda, K. [National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba 305-0044 (Japan); Zheltikov, A. M. [International Laser Center, Physics Department, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119992 (Russian Federation); Russian Quantum Center, ul. Novaya 100, Skolkovo, Moscow Region 1430125 (Russian Federation); Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A and M University, College Station, Texas 77843 (United States); Center of Photochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Novatorov 7a, Moscow 117421 (Russian Federation)

    2014-02-24

    Two-photon excitation is shown to substantially enhance the locality of fiber-based optical interrogation of strongly scattering biotissues. In our experiments, a high-numerical-aperture, large-core-are fiber probe is used to deliver the 200-fs output of a 100-MHz mode-locked ytterbium fiber laser to samples of live mouse brain, induce two-photon fluorescence of nitrogen–vacancy centers in diamond markers in brain sample. Fiber probes with a high numerical aperture and a large core area are shown to enable locality enhancement in fiber-laser–fiber-probe two-photon brain excitation and interrogation without sacrificing the efficiency of fluorescence response collection.

  15. Ratiometric fluorescent detection of chromium(VI) in real samples based on dual emissive carbon dots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Yunxia; Chen, Yonglei; Liu, Juanjuan; Han, Yangxia; Ma, Sudai; Chen, Xingguo

    2018-08-01

    As we know, hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) was usually used as an additive to improve the color fastness during the printing and dyeing process, and thus posing tremendous threat to our health and living quality. In this work, the dual emissive carbon dots (DECDs) were synthesized through hydrothermal treatment of m-aminophenol and oxalic acid. The obtained DECDs not only exhibited dual emission fluorescence peaks (430 nm, 510 nm) under the single excitation wavelength of 380 nm, but also possessed good water solubility and excellent fluorescence stability. A ratiometric fluorescent method for the determination of Cr(VI) was developed using the DECDs as a probe. Under the optimal conditions, a linear range was obtained from 2 to 300 μM with a limit of detection of 0.4 μM. Furthermore, the proposed ratiometric fluorescent method was applied to the analysis of Cr(VI) in textile, steel, industrial wastewater and chromium residue samples with satisfactory recoveries (88.4-106.8%). Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Red organic light emitting devices with reduced efficiency roll-off behavior by using hybrid fluorescent/phosphorescent emission structure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zheng Tianhang; Choy, Wallace C.H., E-mail: chchoy@eee.hku.h

    2010-11-01

    Organic light emitting device (OLED) with a fluorescence-interlayer-phosphorescence emissive structure (FIP EML) is proposed to solve efficiency roll-off issue effectively. By doping fluorescent emitter of 4-(dicyanomethylene)-2-t-butyl-6-(1,1,7,7-tetramethyljulolidyl-9-enyl) -4H-pyran (DCJTB) and phosphorescent emitter of tris(1-phenylisoquinolinolato-C2,N)iridium(III) (Ir(piq){sub 3}) into the different regions of emission zone to form FIP EML in red OLED, an improvement of more than 20% in luminance efficiency roll-off compared with that of typical phosphorescent OLED with single EML in 10-500 mA/cm{sup 2} range has been obtained. Detailed mechanisms have been studied. Such improvement should be attributed to the distinct roles of the two emitters, where DCJTB mainly used to influence the carrier transport leading to an improved balance of charge carriers while Ir(piq){sub 3} functions as the radiative decay sites for most generated excitons. Meanwhile, with the help of the formation of FIP EML, the redistribution of excitons in recombination zone, the suppression of non-radiative exciton quenching processes and the elimination of energy transfer loss also contribute to the enhancement of efficiency roll-off. The method proposed here may provide a route to develop efficient OLED for high luminance applications.

  17. Photobleaching kinetics and time-integrated emission of fluorescent probes in cellular membranes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wüstner, Daniel; Christensen, Tanja; Solanko, Lukasz Michal

    2014-01-01

    Since the pioneering work of Hirschfeld, it is known that time-integrated emission (TiEm) of a fluorophore is independent of fluorescence quantum yield and illumination intensity. Practical implementation of this important result for determining exact probe distribution in living cells is often h...

  18. Silver nanoparticles deposited on anodic aluminum oxide template using magnetron sputtering for surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wong-ek, Krongkamol [Nanoscience and Technology Program, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Eiamchai, Pitak; Horprathum, Mati; Patthanasettakul, Viyapol [National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, 112 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Rd., Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120 (Thailand); Limnonthakul, Puenisara [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, King Mongkut' s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10140 (Thailand); Chindaudom, Pongpan [National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, 112 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Rd., Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120 (Thailand); Nuntawong, Noppadon, E-mail: noppadon.nuntawong@nectec.or.t [National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, 112 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Rd., Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120 (Thailand)

    2010-09-30

    Low-cost and highly sensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates have been fabricated by a simple anodizing process and a magnetron sputtering deposition. The substrates, which consist of silver nanoparticles embedded on anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates, are investigated by a scanning electron microscope and a confocal Raman spectroscopy. The SERS activities are demonstrated by Raman scattering from adsorbed solutions of methylene blue and pyridine on the SERS substrate surface. The most optimized SERS substrate contains the silver nanoparticles, with a size distribution of 10-30 nm, deposited on the AAO template. From a calculation, the SERS enhancement factor is as high as 8.5 x 10{sup 7}, which suggests strong potentials for direct applications in the chemical detection and analyses.

  19. Physical, chemical and biological studies of gelatin/chitosan based transdermal fims with embedded silver nanoparticles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sneha Paul

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To study the physical, chemical and biological properties of composite chitosangelatin transdermal film along with silver nanoparticles as binding agent and determine the compatibility of the prepared amalgamation towards wound management. Methods: Transdermal film preparations were done by solvent casting method containing different concentrations of biological synthesized silver nanoparticles. The films were characterized by using scanning electron microscope for their morphology and the determination of silver metal was done by using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. Then a quantity of silver nanoparticles was further proceeded by physiochemical parameters (weight, thickness, temperature, solubility, absorption, tensile strength, in vitro drug release and skin permeation and biological parameters studies (anti-microbial, cytotoxicity and reactive oxygen species. Results: The film prepared by utilizing 2 g of gelatin and 0.5 g of chitosan exhibited better results. The physiochemical parameters studies revealed higher concentration of silver nanoparticles would give better results. In vitro drug release studies through dialysis and skin permeation showed the release of drug versus time (h. These films had shown excellent inhibition against Streptococcus and Escherichia coli species. Cytotoxicity study by MTT indicated the mild toxicity existed as the concentration of silver nanoparticles increased. Reactive oxygen species generation studies of transdermal film by using 2'7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate assay demonstrated that the fluorescent cells were found in the higher concentration, which indicated cell damage (reactive oxygen species generated. Conclusions: Based on these observations, in vitro performances against various characteristics of transdermal film, would be utilized as a distinct dressing material and patches accessible in market.

  20. Differential tissue expression of enhanced green fluorescent protein in ‘Green mice’

    OpenAIRE

    Ma, De-Fu; Tezuka, Hideo; Kondo, Tetsuo; Sudo, Katsuko; Niu, Dong-Feng; Nakazawa, Tadao; Kawasaki, Tomonori; Yamane, Tetsu; Nakamura, Nobuki; Katoh, Ryohei

    2010-01-01

    In order to clarify tissue expression of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) in ‘green mice’ from a transgenic line having an EGFP cDNA under the control of a chicken beta-actin promoter and cytomegalovirus enhancer, we studied the expression of EGFP in various organs and tissues from these ‘green mice’ by immunohistochemistry with anti- EGFP antibody in conjunction with direct observation for EGFP fluorescence using confocal laser scanning microscopy. On i...

  1. Metal Nanoparticles/Porous Silicon Microcavity Enhanced Surface Plasmon Resonance Fluorescence for the Detection of DNA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiajia Wang

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available A porous silicon microcavity (PSiMC with resonant peak wavelength of 635 nm was fabricated by electrochemical etching. Metal nanoparticles (NPs/PSiMC enhanced fluorescence substrates were prepared by the electrostatic adherence of Au NPs that were distributed in PSiMC. The Au NPs/PSiMC device was used to characterize the target DNA immobilization and hybridization with its complementary DNA sequences marked with Rhodamine red (RRA. Fluorescence enhancement was observed on the Au NPs/PSiMC device substrate; and the minimum detection concentration of DNA ran up to 10 pM. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR of the MC substrate; which is so well-positioned to improve fluorescence enhancement rather the fluorescence enhancement of the high reflection band of the Bragg reflector; would welcome such a highly sensitive in biosensor.

  2. Metal Nanoparticles/Porous Silicon Microcavity Enhanced Surface Plasmon Resonance Fluorescence for the Detection of DNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jiajia; Jia, Zhenhong

    2018-02-23

    A porous silicon microcavity (PSiMC) with resonant peak wavelength of 635 nm was fabricated by electrochemical etching. Metal nanoparticles (NPs)/PSiMC enhanced fluorescence substrates were prepared by the electrostatic adherence of Au NPs that were distributed in PSiMC. The Au NPs/PSiMC device was used to characterize the target DNA immobilization and hybridization with its complementary DNA sequences marked with Rhodamine red (RRA). Fluorescence enhancement was observed on the Au NPs/PSiMC device substrate; and the minimum detection concentration of DNA ran up to 10 pM. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of the MC substrate; which is so well-positioned to improve fluorescence enhancement rather the fluorescence enhancement of the high reflection band of the Bragg reflector; would welcome such a highly sensitive in biosensor.

  3. Enhancing the stability of colloidal silver nanoparticles using polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) from Bacillus circulans (MTCC 8167) isolated from crude oil contaminated soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phukon, Pinkee; Saikia, Jyoti Prasad; Konwar, Bolin Kumar

    2011-09-01

    Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) was produced by growing Bacillus circulans (MTCC 8167) in the specific detection medium. The identification of the polymer as PHA was confirmed by fluorescence microscopy. The PHA was purified and characterized using FT-IR. The silver nanoparticles (SNP) were synthesized from AgNO3 in the dispersed colloids of PHA (0.085%) using NaBH4 (sodium borohydrate as reducing agent). The stability was tested using wave length scanning with a UV-Vis spectrophotometer and finally with transmission electron microscopy. The PHA stabilized solution was found to be stable for 30 days as against the low stability of silver nanoparticles (SNP) solution alone. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Synthesis and characterization of silver-containing glasses: evolution under ionizing irradiation and femtosecond laser multi-scale structuring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Desmoulin, Jean-Charles

    2016-01-01

    The silver-containing phosphate glasses allowed original developments throughout the micro-structuring of architectures for innovative photonic in the volume, at the surface or in the fibered material. The chemical engineering of the material plays an important role from this point of view. An increasing silver oxide ratio leads to an important quantity of pairs in the pristine glass matrix. This dimer in favor of the aggregation process bringing to the production of species during the interaction between the glass and the infrared femtosecond laser. A study conducted by EPR spectroscopy on irradiated samples (ionizing sources) demonstrated that the dose rate is predominant for the control of the involved chemical process. Mainly, electron and holes are stabilized at low dose rate whereas the formation of luminescent silver clusters occurs for high peak power typical of ultra-short lasers. The Direct Laser Writing process allows local structuring of the matter and resulted in original tridimensional patterns. The fine chemical distribution analysis inside annular fluorescent objects clearly showed a depletion zone of the silver concentration in the center. Ionic migration effects from the center towards the edges of the laser beam are then highlighted. The Eu 3+ -doped photosensitive glasses emphasized a synergy between photo-induced silver clusters and trivalent lanthanides. Indeed, a luminescence exaltation associated to the europium emission is measured. (author)

  5. Isatis tinctoria mediated synthesis of amphotericin B-bound silver nanoparticles with enhanced photoinduced antileishmanial activity: A novel green approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmad, Aftab; Wei, Yun; Syed, Fatima; Khan, Shafiullah; Khan, Gul Majid; Tahir, Kamran; Khan, Arif Ullah; Raza, Muslim; Khan, Faheem Ullah; Yuan, Qiping

    2016-08-01

    After malaria, Leishmaniasis is the most prevalent infectious disease in terms of fatality and geographical distribution. The availability of a limited number of antileishmanial agents, emerging resistance to the available drugs, and the high cost of treatment complicate the treatment of leishmaniasis. To overcome these issues, critical research for new therapeutic agents with enhanced antileishmanial potential and low treatment cost is needed. In this contribution, we developed a green protocol to prepare biogenic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and amphotericin B-bound biogenic silver nanoparticles (AmB-AgNPs). Phytochemicals from the aqueous extract of Isatis tinctoria were used as reducing and capping agents to prepare silver nanoparticles. Amphotericin B was successfully adsorbed on the surface of biogenic silver nanoparticles. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized by various analytical techniques. UV-Visible spectroscopy was employed to detect the characteristic localized surface plasmon resonance peaks (LSPR) for the prepared nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) studies revealed the formation of spherical silver nanoparticles with an average particle size of 10-20nm. The cubic crystalline structure of the prepared nanoparticles was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) study. FTIR spectroscopic analysis revealed that plant polyphenolic compounds are mainly involved in metal reduction and capping. Under visible light irradiation, biogenic silver nanoparticles exhibited significant activity against Leishmania tropica with an IC50 value of 4.2μg/mL. The leishmanicidal activity of these nanoparticles was considerably enhanced by conjugation with amphotericin B (IC50=2.43μg/mL). In conclusion, the findings of this study reveal that adsorption of amphotericin B, an antileishmanial drug, to biogenic silver nanoparticles, could be a safe, more effective and economic alternative to the available

  6. Color-tunable and stable-efficiency white organic light-emitting diode fabricated with fluorescent-phosphorescent emission layers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Su-Hua; Shih, Po-Jen; Wu, Wen-Jie; Huang, Yi-Hua

    2013-01-01

    White organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) were fabricated for color-tunable lighting applications. Fluorescent and phosphorescent hybrid emission layers (EMLs) were used to enhance the luminance and stability of the devices, which have blue-EML/CBP interlayer/green-EML/phosphorescent-sensitized-EML/red-EML structures. The influence of the composition and structure of the EMLs on the electroluminescence properties of the devices were investigated from the viewpoint of their emission spectra. The possible exciton harvesting, diffusion, transport, and annihilation processes occurring in the EMLs were also evaluated. A maximum luminance intensity of 7400 cd/m 2 and a highly stable current efficiency of 3.2 cd/A were obtained. Good color tunability was achieved for the white OLEDs; the chromatic coordinates linearly shifted from pure white (0.300, 0.398) to cold white (0.261, 0.367) when the applied voltage was varied from 10 to 14 V. -- Highlights: • Exciton harvesting, diffusion, transport, and annihilation processes were evaluated. • The electroluminescence properties were investigated from the viewpoint of the emission spectra. • Good color tunability and stable-efficiency were achieved for the white OLEDs

  7. Stacking the Cosmic Web in fluorescent Ly α emission with MUSE

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gallego, Sofia G.; Cantalupo, Sebastiano; Lilly, Simon; Marino, Raffaella Anna; Pezzulli, Gabriele; Schaye, Joop; Wisotzki, Lutz; Bacon, Roland; Inami, Hanae; Akhlaghi, Mohammad; Tacchella, Sandro; Richard, Johan; Bouche, Nicolas F.; Steinmetz, Matthias; Carollo, Marcella

    2018-04-01

    Cosmological simulations suggest that most of the matter in the Universe is distributed along filaments connecting galaxies. Illuminated by the cosmic UV background (UVB), these structures are expected to glow in fluorescent Ly α emission with a surface brightness (SB) that is well below current limits for individual detections. Here, we perform a stacking analysis of the deepest MUSE/VLT data using three-dimensional regions (subcubes) with orientations determined by the position of neighbouring Ly α galaxies at 3 < z < 4. Our method increase the probability of detecting filamentary Ly α emission, provided that these structures are Lyman-limit systems (LLSs). By stacking 390 oriented subcubes we reach a 2σ sensitivity level of SB ≈ 0.44 × 10-20 erg s-1 cm-2 arcsec-2 in an aperture of 1 arcsec2 × 6.25 Å, three times below the expected fluorescent Ly α signal from the Haardt & Madau UVB at z ˜ 3.5. No detectable emission is found on intergalactic scales, implying that at least two thirds of our subcubes do not contain oriented LLSs. On the other hand, significant emission is detected in the circumgalactic medium (CGM) in the direction of the neighbours. The signal is stronger for galaxies with a larger number of neighbours and appears to be independent of any other galaxy properties. We estimate that preferentially oriented satellite galaxies cannot contribute significantly to this signal, suggesting instead that gas densities in the CGM are typically larger in the direction of neighbouring galaxies on cosmological scales.

  8. Multivalent calix[4]arene-based fluorescent sensor for detecting silver ions in aqueous media and physiological environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lotfi, Behzad; Tarlani, Aliakbar; Akbari-Moghaddam, Peyman; Mirza-Aghayan, Maryam; Peyghan, Ali Ahmadi; Muzart, Jacques; Zadmard, Reza

    2017-04-15

    A new derivative of dipodal 1,3-calix[4]arene-based chemosensor (R), which was containing several binding sites have been synthesized and characterized by NMR, IR and LC-MS spectroscopic methods. The selectivity of Rhas been investigated in aqueous methanol, resulting in fluorescence shift and selective recognition of Ag + among 20 various alkali, alkaline earth and transition metal ions. Microstructural features of R and its complex with Ag + have been investigated by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). AFM images can clearly differentiate R from its complex of Ag + . Moreover; the complicated binding mode of metal-ligand complex has been explored by UV-Vis, LC-MS, FIR, Fluorescence titration, Job's plot method and theoretical approaches. Density functional theory (DFT) method at B3LYP/LANL2DZ level of theory was employed for computational studies. Theoretical calculations revealed that selectivity and specificity of R toward Ag + could be attributed to structural conformation of 1,3-alternate-calix[4]arene scaffold and molecular electrostatic potential of its surface. Furthermore; the competitive experiments were carried out to test sensor's ability for practical uses. Finally, the efficiency of R in matrix of physiological cations was examined and showed gradual emission enhancement which makes R an ideal candidate for monitoring of Ag + in physiological environment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. In situ reduction of antibacterial silver ions to metallic silver nanoparticles on bioactive glasses functionalized with polyphenols

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ferraris, S., E-mail: sara.ferraris@polito.it [Department of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di Torino, C.so Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129, Torino (Italy); Miola, M. [Department of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di Torino, C.so Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129, Torino (Italy); Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale UPO, Via Solaroli 17, 28100, Novara (Italy); Cochis, A.; Azzimonti, B.; Rimondini, L. [Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale UPO, Via Solaroli 17, 28100, Novara (Italy); Prenesti, E. [Department of Chemistry, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 7, Torino, 10125 (Italy); Vernè, E. [Department of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di Torino, C.so Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129, Torino (Italy)

    2017-02-28

    Highlights: • Gallic acid and natural polyphenols were grafted onto bioactive glasses. • Grafting ability was dependent on glass reactivity. • In situ reduction of silver nanoparticles was performed onto functionalized glasses. • Bioactive glasses decorated with silver nanoparticles showed antibacterial activity. - Abstract: The realization of surfaces with antibacterial properties due to silver nanoparticles loaded through a green approach is a promising research challenge of the biomaterial field. In this research work, two bioactive glasses have been doubly surface functionalized with polyphenols (gallic acid or natural polyphenols extracted from red grape skins and green tea leaves) and silver nanoparticles deposited by in situ reduction from a silver nitrate aqueous solution. The presence of biomolecules – showing reducing ability to directly obtain in situ metallic silver – and silver nanoparticles was investigated by means of UV–vis spectroscopy, X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). The antibacterial activity of the modified surfaces was tested against a multidrug resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacterial strain.

  10. Enhancing analysis of cells and proteins by fluorescence imaging on silk-based biomaterials: modulating the autofluorescence of silk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neo, Puay Yong; Tan, Daryl Jian-An; Shi, Pujiang; Toh, Siew Lok; Goh, James Cho-Hong

    2015-02-01

    emission wavelengths compared with the red emission wavelength. This study has showed that the use of SB is a cost and time effective approach to enhance fluorescence-based imaging analyses of cell-seeded silk biomaterials, which otherwise would have been hindered by the unmodulated autofluorescence signals.

  11. A green fluorescent protein with photoswitchable emission from the deep sea.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexander Vogt

    Full Text Available A colorful variety of fluorescent proteins (FPs from marine invertebrates are utilized as genetically encoded markers for live cell imaging. The increased demand for advanced imaging techniques drives a continuous search for FPs with new and improved properties. Many useful FPs have been isolated from species adapted to sun-flooded habitats such as tropical coral reefs. It has yet remained unknown if species expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP-like proteins also exist in the darkness of the deep sea. Using a submarine-based and -operated fluorescence detection system in the Gulf of Mexico, we discovered ceriantharians emitting bright green fluorescence in depths between 500 and 600 m and identified a GFP, named cerFP505, with bright fluorescence emission peaking at 505 nm. Spectroscopic studies showed that approximately 15% of the protein bulk feature reversible ON/OFF photoswitching that can be induced by alternating irradiation with blue und near-UV light. Despite being derived from an animal adapted to essentially complete darkness and low temperatures, cerFP505 maturation in living mammalian cells at 37 degrees C, its brightness and photostability are comparable to those of EGFP and cmFP512 from shallow water species. Therefore, our findings disclose the deep sea as a potential source of GFP-like molecular marker proteins.

  12. Temperature dependence of fluorescence decay time and emission spectrum of bismuth germanate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Melcher, C.L.; Liberman, A.; Schweitzer, J.S.; Simonetti, J.

    1985-01-01

    Bismuth germanate has become an increasingly popular replacement for NaI(Tl) scintillators in recent years, mainly due to its higher detection efficiency. However, its scintillation efficiency and fluorescence decay time are strongly temperature dependent. Optimum performance of detector systems which employ BGO crystals depends on knowledge of the BGO pulse shape and intensity and its emission spectrum at the operating temperature of the detector. Measurements of these quantities are presented over the temperature range -47 0 C to +111 0 C. Although the emission spectrum shifts only slightly over this temperature range, the scintillation efficiency and fluorescence decay time are strongly temperature dependent. In addition to the usefulness of these data for optimizing detector design, the results imply that luminescence quenching in BGO cannot be characterized by a single thermal activation to a radiationless transition but that a more complex model is required to characterize the light output from BGO crystals

  13. Fluorescence emissions from mixtures of Hg with the noble gases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Woodworth, J.R.

    1977-01-01

    Fluorescence emissions from mixtures of Hg with high pressure Xe, Kr, and Ar (approx.1 torr Hg, 10 3 --10 4 torr noble gas) have been studied using a short-pulse relativistic electron beam as an excitation source. Hg--noble gas molecular bands were observed on the red sides of the Hg lines (1849 and 2537 A) as well as on the red sides of the Hg visible lines (7 3 S 1 →6 3 P 0 , 1 , 2 ). Temporal histories and production efficiencies of the molecular emissions were determined and a model was formulated for the time histories of the HgXe 2600 A bands. Possible applications to high power laser systems are discussed

  14. Enhanced Carbon Dioxide Electroreduction to Carbon Monoxide over Defect-Rich Plasma-Activated Silver Catalysts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mistry, Hemma; Choi, Yong-Wook; Bagger, Alexander; Scholten, Fabian; Bonifacio, Cecile S; Sinev, Ilya; Divins, Nuria J; Zegkinoglou, Ioannis; Jeon, Hyo Sang; Kisslinger, Kim; Stach, Eric A; Yang, Judith C; Rossmeisl, Jan; Roldan Cuenya, Beatriz

    2017-09-11

    Efficient, stable catalysts with high selectivity for a single product are essential if electroreduction of CO 2 is to become a viable route to the synthesis of industrial feedstocks and fuels. A plasma oxidation pre-treatment of silver foil enhances the number of low-coordinated catalytically active sites, which dramatically lowers the overpotential and increases the activity of CO 2 electroreduction to CO. At -0.6 V versus RHE more than 90 % Faradaic efficiency towards CO was achieved on a pre-oxidized silver foil. While transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy showed that oxygen species can survive in the bulk of the catalyst during the reaction, quasi in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that the surface is metallic under reaction conditions. DFT calculations reveal that the defect-rich surface of the plasma-oxidized silver foils in the presence of local electric fields drastically decrease the overpotential of CO 2 electroreduction. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Irradiation with visible light enhances the antibacterial toxicity of silver nanoparticles produced by laser ablation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ratti, Matthew; Naddeo, J. J.; Tan, Yuying; Griepenburg, Julianne C.; Tomko, John; Trout, Cory; O'Malley, Sean M.; Bubb, Daniel M.; Klein, Eric A.

    2016-04-01

    The rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a rapidly growing global health concern. According to the Center for Disease Control, approximately 2 million illnesses and 23,000 deaths per year occur in the USA due to antibiotic resistance. In recent years, there has been a surge in the use of metal nanoparticles as coatings for orthopedic implants, wound dressings, and food packaging, due to their antimicrobial properties. In this report, we demonstrate that the antibacterial efficacy of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is enhanced with exposure to light from the visible spectrum. We find that the increased toxicity is due to augmented silver ion release and bacterial uptake. Interestingly, silver ion toxicity does not appear to depend on the formation of reactive oxygen species. Our findings provide a novel paradigm for using light to regulate the toxicity of AgNPs which may have a significant impact in the development of new antimicrobial therapeutics.

  16. A monolayer of hierarchical silver hemi-mesoparticles with tunable surface topographies for highly sensitive surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Shuangmei; Fan, Chunzhen; Mao, Yanchao; Wang, Junqiao; He, Jinna; Liang, Erjun; Chao, Mingju

    2016-02-01

    We proposed a facile green synthesis system to synthesize large-scale Ag hemi-mesoparticles monolayer on Cu foil. Ag hemi-mesoparticles have different surface morphologies on their surfaces, including ridge-like, meatball-like, and fluffy-like shapes. In the reaction, silver nitrate was reduced by copper at room temperature in dimethyl sulfoxide via the galvanic displacement reaction. The different surface morphologies of the Ag hemi-mesoparticles were adjusted by changing the reaction time, and the hemi-mesoparticle surface formed fluffy-spherical nanoprotrusions at longer reaction time. At the same time, we explored the growth mechanism of silver hemi-mesoparticles with different surface morphologies. With 4-mercaptobenzoic acid as Raman probe molecules, the fluffy-like silver hemi-mesoparticles monolayer with the best activity of surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), the enhancement factor is up to 7.33 × 107 and the detection limit can reach 10-10M. SERS measurements demonstrate that these Ag hemi-mesoparticles can serve as sensitive SERS substrates. At the same time, using finite element method, the distribution of the localized electromagnetic field near the particle surface was simulated to verify the enhanced mechanism. This study helps us to understand the relationship between morphology Ag hemi-mesoparicles and the properties of SERS.

  17. Annealing time dependent up-conversion luminescence enhancement in magnesium–tellurite glass

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Amjad, Raja J., E-mail: rajajunaid25@gmail.com [Advanced Optical Material Research Group, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai, Johor bahru 81310 (Malaysia); Centre for Solid State Physics, University of the Punjab, QAC, Lahore 54590 (Pakistan); Sahar, M.R.; Ghoshal, S.K.; Dousti, M.R. [Advanced Optical Material Research Group, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai, Johor bahru 81310 (Malaysia); Riaz, S. [Centre for Solid State Physics, University of the Punjab, QAC, Lahore 54590 (Pakistan); Samavati, A.R.; Arifin, R. [Advanced Optical Material Research Group, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai, Johor bahru 81310 (Malaysia); Naseem, S. [Centre for Solid State Physics, University of the Punjab, QAC, Lahore 54590 (Pakistan)

    2013-04-15

    Silver nanoparticles (NPs) embedded Er{sup 3+} ions doped magnesium–tellurite glasses are prepared using melt quenching technique. Heat treatment with different time intervals above the glass transition temperature is applied in order to reduce the silver ions (Ag{sup +}) to silver NPs (Ag{sup o}). The transmission electron microscopy (TEM), differential thermal analyses (DTA), UV–vis-NIR absorption spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy are used to examine annealing time dependent structural and optical properties. The characteristics temperatures such as glass transition temperature (T{sub g}), crystallization temperature (T{sub c}) and melting temperature (T{sub m}) obtained from DTA for an as prepared sample are 322 °C, 450 °C and 580 °C, respectively. TEM image clearly shows the homogeneous distribution of silver NPs with an average diameter ∼12 nm. The observed localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) band is evidenced at 534 nm. Furthermore, the infrared to visible frequency up-conversion (UC) emission under 786 nm excitation exhibits three emission bands centered at 532 nm, 554 nm and 634 nm corresponding to {sup 2}H{sub 11/2}→{sup 4}I{sub 15/2}, {sup 4}S{sub 3/2}→{sup 4}I{sub 15/2} and {sup 4}F{sub 9/2}→{sup 4}I{sub 15/2} transitions of Er{sup 3+}, respectively. Intensity of all the bands is found to enhance by increasing the annealing time up to 24 h. However, further increase in the annealing time duration (∼40 h) reduces the intensity. Enhancement in the luminescence intensity is understood in terms of the local field effect of the silver NPs whereas the quenching is attributed to the energy transfer from Er{sup 3+} ions to silver NPs. -- Highlights: ► Er{sup 3+}-doped silver NPs embedded magnesium–tellurite glasses are prepared. ► TEM confirms the successful precipitation of spherical NPs by heat treatment (HT). ► Luminescence is enhanced due to the growth of NPs after HT up to 24 h. ► With HT>24 h (40 h

  18. Enhanced speed in fluorescence imaging using beat frequency multiplexing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mikami, Hideharu; Kobayashi, Hirofumi; Wang, Yisen; Hamad, Syed; Ozeki, Yasuyuki; Goda, Keisuke

    2016-03-01

    Fluorescence imaging using radiofrequency-tagged emission (FIRE) is an emerging technique that enables higher imaging speed (namely, temporal resolution) in fluorescence microscopy compared to conventional fluorescence imaging techniques such as confocal microscopy and wide-field microscopy. It works based on the principle that it uses multiple intensity-modulated fields in an interferometric setup as excitation fields and applies frequency-division multiplexing to fluorescence signals. Unfortunately, despite its high potential, FIRE has limited imaging speed due to two practical limitations: signal bandwidth and signal detection efficiency. The signal bandwidth is limited by that of an acousto-optic deflector (AOD) employed in the setup, which is typically 100-200 MHz for the spectral range of fluorescence excitation (400-600 nm). The signal detection efficiency is limited by poor spatial mode-matching between two interfering fields to produce a modulated excitation field. Here we present a method to overcome these limitations and thus to achieve higher imaging speed than the prior version of FIRE. Our method achieves an increase in signal bandwidth by a factor of two and nearly optimal mode matching, which enables the imaging speed limited by the lifetime of the target fluorophore rather than the imaging system itself. The higher bandwidth and better signal detection efficiency work synergistically because higher bandwidth requires higher signal levels to avoid the contribution of shot noise and amplifier noise to the fluorescence signal. Due to its unprecedentedly high-speed performance, our method has a wide variety of applications in cancer detection, drug discovery, and regenerative medicine.

  19. Enhancement of the fluorescence intensity of DNA intercalators using nano-imprinted 2-dimensional photonic crystal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Endo, Tatsuro; Ueda, China; Hisamoto, Hideaki; Kajita, Hiroshi; Okuda, Norimichi; Tanaka, Satoru

    2013-01-01

    We have fabricated polymer-based 2-dimensional photonic crystals that play a key role in enhancing the fluorescence of DNA intercalators. Highly ordered 2-dimensional photonic crystals possessing triangle-shaped and nm-sized hole arrays were fabricated on a 100 μm thick polymer film using nano-imprint lithography. Samples of double-stranded DNAs (sizes: 4361 and 48502 bp; concentration: 1 pM to 10 nM) were adsorbed on the surface of the 2-dimensional photonic crystal by electrostatic interactions and then treated with intercalators. It is found that the fluorescence intensity of the intercalator is enhanced by a factor of up to 10 compared to the enhancement in the absence of the 2-dimensional photonic crystal. Fluorescence intensity increases with increasing length and concentration of the DNAs. If the 2-dimensional photonic crystal is used as a Bragg reflection mirror, the enhancement of fluorescence intensity can be easily observed using a conventional spectrofluorometer. These results suggest that the printed photonic crystal offers a great potential for highly sensitive intercalator-based fluorescent detection of DNAs. (author)

  20. Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Activity of Different Antibiotics Enhanced with Silver-Doped Hydroxyapatite Thin Films

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniela Predoi

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The inhibitory and antimicrobial effects of silver particles have been known since ancient times. In the last few years, a major health problem has arisen due to pathogenic bacteria resistance to antimicrobial agents. The antibacterial activities of new materials including hydroxyapatite (HAp, silver-doped hydroxyapatite (Ag:HAp and various types of antibiotics such as tetracycline (T-HAp and T-Ag:HAp or ciprofloxacin (C-HAp and C-Ag:HAp have not been studied so far. In this study we reported, for the first time, the preparation and characterization of various thin films based on hydroxyapatite and silver-doped hydroxyapatite combined with tetracycline or ciprofloxacin. The structural and chemical characterization of hydroxyapatite and silver-doped hydroxyapatite thin films has been evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR. The morphological studies of the HAp, Ag:HAp, T-HAp, T-Ag:HAp, C-HAp and C-Ag:HAp thin solid films were performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM. In order to study the chemical composition of the coatings, energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX and glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES measurements have been used, obtaining information on the distribution of the elements throughout the film. These studies have confirmed the purity of the prepared hydroxyapatite and silver-doped hydroxyapatite thin films obtained from composite targets containing Ca10−xAgx(PO46(OH2 with xAg = 0 (HAp and xAg = 0.2 (Ag:HAp. On the other hand, the major aim of this study was the evaluation of the antibacterial activities of ciprofloxacin and tetracycline in the presence of HAp and Ag:HAp thin layers against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli strains. The antibacterial activities of ciprofloxacin and tetracycline against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli test strains increased in the presence of HAp and Ag:HAp thin layers.

  1. Some metallurgical aspects of ancient silver coins discovered in Romania - originals and imitations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Constantinescu, Bogdan; Cojocaru, Viorel; Bugoi, Roxana; Sasianu, Alexandru

    2009-01-01

    The paper presents an extensive archaeometrical study of two categories of ancient silver coins - Apollonia and Dyrrachium silver drachmae and Dacian drachamae. The coins of the former type were emitted by the-above mentioned Greek colonies which were under Pompejus authority during Ist Century B.C., while the latter type were Dacian imitations of the coins emitted by the Macedonian king Phillip II. All analyzed coins circulated in Dacia during the Ist Century B.C.; they were found on the territory of present Romania. As an explanation for the presence of a large number of Apollonia and Dyrrachium drachmae on the Dacian territory, it was speculated that these coins were used by Pompejus as a payment for the Dacian mercenaries fighting in the civil war on his side. To determine the elemental composition of the coins, two analytical methods were employed: Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (ED-XRF) based on radioactive source excitation ( 241 Am and 238 Pu) and in-vacuum 3 MeV Proton Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE). For Apollonia and Dyrrachium drachmae, the following types of coins were found: original coins, debased coins (silver content down to 70%), official counterfeits - coins minted with the original dies - made out of bronze, official counterfeits of tin, and plated coins - bronze core covered with a 0.2-0.5 mm silver layer. For the Dacian drachmae, an interesting evolution of the tin content was put in evidence.. (Author)

  2. Speciation Matters: Bioavailability of Silver and Silver Sulfide Nanoparticles to Alfalfa (Medicago sativa).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stegemeier, John P; Schwab, Fabienne; Colman, Benjamin P; Webb, Samuel M; Newville, Matthew; Lanzirotti, Antonio; Winkler, Christopher; Wiesner, Mark R; Lowry, Gregory V

    2015-07-21

    Terrestrial crops are directly exposed to silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) and their environmentally transformed analog silver sulfide nanoparticles (Ag2S-NPs) when wastewater treatment biosolids are applied as fertilizer to agricultural soils. This leads to a need to understand their bioavailability to plants. In the present study, the mechanisms of uptake and distribution of silver in alfalfa (Medicago sativa) were quantified and visualized upon hydroponic exposure to Ag-NPs, Ag2S-NPs, and AgNO3 at 3 mg total Ag/L. Total silver uptake was measured in dried roots and shoots, and the spatial distribution of elements was investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and synchrotron-based X-ray imaging techniques. Despite large differences in release of Ag(+) ions from the particles, Ag-NPs, Ag2S-NPs, and Ag(+) became associated with plant roots to a similar degree, and exhibited similarly limited (<1%) amounts of translocation of silver into the shoot system. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) mapping revealed differences in the distribution of Ag into roots for each treatment. Silver nanoparticles mainly accumulated in the (columella) border cells and elongation zone, whereas Ag(+) accumulated more uniformly throughout the root. In contrast, Ag2S-NPs remained largely adhered to the root exterior, and the presence of cytoplasmic nano-SixOy aggregates was observed. Exclusively in roots exposed to particulate silver, NPs smaller than the originally dosed NPs were identified by TEM in the cell walls. The apparent accumulation of Ag in the root apoplast determined by XRF, and the presence of small NPs in root cell walls suggests uptake of partially dissolved NPs and translocation along the apoplast.

  3. Photochemical products causing fluorescence enhancement for 6H-benzo[cd]pyren-6-one in de-aerated and pre-irradiated solutions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yagishita, M., E-mail: yagishita.mayuko@nies.go.jp [Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Toho University, 2-2-1 Miyama, Funabashi, Chiba 274-8510 (Japan); National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba-City, Ibaraki 305-8506 (Japan); Nakajima, D. [National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba-City, Ibaraki 305-8506 (Japan); Ohshima, S. [Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Toho University, 2-2-1 Miyama, Funabashi, Chiba 274-8510 (Japan)

    2016-11-15

    Polycyclic aromatic ketones emit very weak fluorescence, but their fluorescence is significantly enhanced by about one hundred times after preliminary irradiation of their degassed solution. To investigate the mechanism of such fluorescence enhancement, liquid chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry measurements were performed for degassed methanol, ethanol, and acetonitrile solutions of 6H-benzo[cd]pyren-6-one (naphthanthrone), in which fluorescence enhancement had been induced. As a result, two kinds of photochemical products were identified as the substance causing fluorescence enhancement: they were produced by dehydrogenation and dehydration of adducts of a solvent molecule to naphthanthrone. On the basis of the findings, the mechanism of the fluorescence enhancement of naphthanthrone was discussed. Fluorescence enhancement; 6H-benzo[cd]pyren-6-one; Polycyclic aromatic ketones; Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry; Photochemical reaction.

  4. Photochemical products causing fluorescence enhancement for 6H-benzo[cd]pyren-6-one in de-aerated and pre-irradiated solutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yagishita, M.; Nakajima, D.; Ohshima, S.

    2016-01-01

    Polycyclic aromatic ketones emit very weak fluorescence, but their fluorescence is significantly enhanced by about one hundred times after preliminary irradiation of their degassed solution. To investigate the mechanism of such fluorescence enhancement, liquid chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry measurements were performed for degassed methanol, ethanol, and acetonitrile solutions of 6H-benzo[cd]pyren-6-one (naphthanthrone), in which fluorescence enhancement had been induced. As a result, two kinds of photochemical products were identified as the substance causing fluorescence enhancement: they were produced by dehydrogenation and dehydration of adducts of a solvent molecule to naphthanthrone. On the basis of the findings, the mechanism of the fluorescence enhancement of naphthanthrone was discussed. Fluorescence enhancement; 6H-benzo[cd]pyren-6-one; Polycyclic aromatic ketones; Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry; Photochemical reaction

  5. Adsorption and sub-nanomolar sensing of thioflavin T on colloidal gold nanoparticles, silver nanoparticles and silver-coated films studied using surface-enhanced Raman scattering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maiti, Nandita; Chadha, Ridhima; Das, Abhishek; Kapoor, Sudhir

    2015-01-01

    Raman and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) studies of thioflavin T (ThT) in solid, solution, gold nanoparticles (GNPs), silver nanoparticles (SNPs) and silver-coated films (SCFs) were investigated. Concentration-dependent SERS spectrum of ThT in GNPs and SNPs indicated the existence of two possible structures, one with the torsional angle (φ) between benzothiazole and dimethylaminobenzene rings being 37° and the other with φ=90°. The SERS spectrum of ThT in SCFs were similar to the Raman spectrum of solid and solution that suggests φ=37°. In this paper, the high sensitivity of the SERS technique was employed for sub-nanomolar (picomolar) sensing of ThT. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Protein assisted fluorescence enhancement of a dansyl containing fluorescent reagent: detection of Hg+ ion in aqueous medium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Srivastava, Priyanka; Shahid, Mohammad; Misra, Arvind

    2011-07-21

    Intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) based fluorescent reagents containing a dansyl fluorophore have been synthesized and characterized. The reagent 1 and its complex, 1+Hg(2+) in sodium acetate buffer (pH 6.7) revealed considerable fluorescence enhancement (switched-on) in the presence of bovine serum albumin (BSA) with 10 ppb detection sensitivity. (1)H NMR spectral analysis suggests complexation between 1 and Hg(2+) ion involving the N,N-dimethylamino and carboxylic functions.

  7. Functional imaging in bulk tissue specimens using optical emission tomography: fluorescence preservation during optical clearing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sakhalkar, H S; Dewhirst, M; Oliver, T; Cao, Y; Oldham, M

    2007-01-01

    Optical emission computed tomography (optical-ECT) is a technique for imaging the three-dimensional (3D) distribution of fluorescent probes in biological tissue specimens with high contrast and spatial resolution. In optical-ECT, functional information can be imaged by (i) systemic application of functional labels (e.g. fluorophore labelled proteins) and/or (ii) endogenous expression of fluorescent reporter proteins (e.g. red fluorescent protein (RFP), green fluorescent protein (GFP)) in vivo. An essential prerequisite for optical-ECT is optical clearing, a procedure where tissue specimens are made transparent to light by sequential perfusion with fixing, dehydrating and clearing agents. In this study, we investigate clearing protocols involving a selection of common fixing (4% buffered paraformaldehyde (PFA), methanol and ethanol), dehydrating (methanol and ethanol) and clearing agents (methyl salicylate and benzyl-alcohol-benzyl-benzoate (BABB)) in order to determine a 'fluorescence friendly' clearing procedure. Cell culture experiments were employed to optimize the sequence of chemical treatments that best preserve fluorescence. Texas red (TxRed), fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC), RFP and GFP were tested as fluorophores and fluorescent reporter proteins of interest. Fluorescent and control cells were imaged on a microscope using a DSred2 and FITC filter set. The most promising clearing protocols of cell culture experiments were applied to whole xenograft tumour specimens, to test their effectiveness in large unsectioned samples. Fluorescence of TxRed/FITC fluorophores was not found to be significantly affected by any of the test clearing protocols. RFP and GFP fluorescence, however, was found to be significantly greater when cell fixation was in ethanol. Fixation in either PFA or methanol resulted in diminished fluorescence. After ethanol fixation, the RFP and GFP fluorescence proved remarkably robust to subsequent exposure to either methyl salicylate or BABB

  8. Functional imaging in bulk tissue specimens using optical emission tomography: fluorescence preservation during optical clearing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sakhalkar, H S [Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710 (United States); Dewhirst, M [Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710 (United States); Oliver, T [Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710 (United States); Cao, Y [Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710 (United States); Oldham, M [Department of Radiation Oncology Physics, and Biomedical Engineering, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710 (United States)

    2007-04-21

    Optical emission computed tomography (optical-ECT) is a technique for imaging the three-dimensional (3D) distribution of fluorescent probes in biological tissue specimens with high contrast and spatial resolution. In optical-ECT, functional information can be imaged by (i) systemic application of functional labels (e.g. fluorophore labelled proteins) and/or (ii) endogenous expression of fluorescent reporter proteins (e.g. red fluorescent protein (RFP), green fluorescent protein (GFP)) in vivo. An essential prerequisite for optical-ECT is optical clearing, a procedure where tissue specimens are made transparent to light by sequential perfusion with fixing, dehydrating and clearing agents. In this study, we investigate clearing protocols involving a selection of common fixing (4% buffered paraformaldehyde (PFA), methanol and ethanol), dehydrating (methanol and ethanol) and clearing agents (methyl salicylate and benzyl-alcohol-benzyl-benzoate (BABB)) in order to determine a 'fluorescence friendly' clearing procedure. Cell culture experiments were employed to optimize the sequence of chemical treatments that best preserve fluorescence. Texas red (TxRed), fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC), RFP and GFP were tested as fluorophores and fluorescent reporter proteins of interest. Fluorescent and control cells were imaged on a microscope using a DSred2 and FITC filter set. The most promising clearing protocols of cell culture experiments were applied to whole xenograft tumour specimens, to test their effectiveness in large unsectioned samples. Fluorescence of TxRed/FITC fluorophores was not found to be significantly affected by any of the test clearing protocols. RFP and GFP fluorescence, however, was found to be significantly greater when cell fixation was in ethanol. Fixation in either PFA or methanol resulted in diminished fluorescence. After ethanol fixation, the RFP and GFP fluorescence proved remarkably robust to subsequent exposure to either methyl salicylate

  9. Comparison of Au and Ag nanoshells' metal-enhanced fluorescence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liaw, Jiunn-Woei; Chen, Huang-Chih; Kuo, Mao-Kuen

    2014-01-01

    The average enhancement factors of Au and Ag nanoshells (NSs) were analyzed theoretically to compare their overall performances on metal-enhanced fluorescence. We used the Mie theory and dyadic Green's functions to calculate the excitation rate and apparent quantum yield of NS interacting with a plane wave and a dipole, respectively, and then to obtain the enhancement factor. Moreover, the average enhancement factor (AEF) of NS on the fluorescence of a nearby molecule was obtained by averaging all possible orientations and locations of the molecule with a constant distance from NS. Our results show that the maximum AEF of Au NS occurs at the wavelength of the dipole mode, which is broadband. In contrast, the maximum AEF of Ag NS is at the narrowband quadrupole mode. In addition, the Stokes shift effect on AEF was studied for Au and Ag NSs. - Highlights: • The average enhancement factors of Au and Ag nanoshells were analyzed theoretically. • The maximum AEF of Au NS occurs at the wavelength of the dipole mode. • The maximum AEF of Ag NS is at the narrowband quadrupole mode. • The Stokes shift effect on AEF is discussed for Au and Ag NSs

  10. Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis of ancient coins: The case of Greek silver drachmae from the Emporion site in Spain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pitarch, A.; Queralt, I.

    2010-01-01

    Greek colonizers arrived at the Iberian Peninsula at the beginning of the sixth century B.C. and founded a small colony known as Emporion in north-east Spain. By the fifth century B.C., this colony became a small polis with a well-organized administrative structure. In this context, the necessity of coinage was a fact and the first coins were minted. Some of these coins were characterized by using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence equipment. The analytical study focused on the elemental characterization of the coins minted from the fourth century to the first century B.C. and their compositional evolution during this period. The investigation has pointed out a very high fineness of the alloys throughout the time, with an average silver content around 98.32%, and the feasibility of energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence as a screening tool for the characterization of the alloys.

  11. Analysis of silver nanoparticles in antimicrobial products using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Huiyuan; Zhang, Zhiyun; Xing, Baoshan; Mukherjee, Arnab; Musante, Craig; White, Jason C; He, Lili

    2015-04-07

    Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are the most commonly used nanoparticles in consumer products. Concerns over human exposure to and risk from these particles have resulted in increased interest in novel strategies to detect AgNPs. This study investigated the feasibility of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) as a method for the detection and quantification of AgNPs in antimicrobial products. By using ferbam (ferric dimethyl-dithiocarbamate) as an indicator molecule that binds strongly onto the nanoparticles, AgNPs detection and discrimination were achieved based on the signature SERS response of AgNPs-ferbam complexes. SERS response with ferbam was distinct for silver ions, silver chloride, silver bulk particles, and AgNPs. Two types of AgNPs with different coatings, citrate and polyvinylpirrolidone (PVP), both showed strong interactions with ferbam and induced strong SERS signals. SERS was effectively applicable for detecting Ag particles ranging from 20 to 200 nm, with the highest signal intensity in the 60-100 nm range. A linear relationship (R(2) = 0.9804) between Raman intensity and citrate-AgNPs concentrations (60 nm; 0-20 mg/L) indicates the potential for particle quantification. We also evaluated SERS detection of AgNPs in four commercially available antimicrobial products. Combined with ICP-MS and TEM data, the results indicated that the SERS response is primarily dependent on size, but also affected by AgNPs concentration. The findings demonstrate that SERS is a promising analytical platform for studying environmentally relevant levels of AgNPs in consumer products and related matrices.

  12. Fluorescence imaging of soybean flavonol isolines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Moon S.; Lee, Edward H.; Mulchi, Charles L.; McMurtrey, James E., III; Chappelle, Emmett W.; Rowland, Randy A.

    1998-07-01

    Experiments were conducted to characterize the fluorescence emission of leaves from four soybean ('Harosoy') plants containing different concentrations of flavonols (kaempferol glycosides). The investigation utilized genetically mutated soybean flavonol isolines grown in a constant environment, thus limiting factors known to affect fluorescence emission characteristics other than different kaempferol glycosides concentrations. Flavonol isolines included OX922, OX941, OX942, OX944. The first two isolines contain kaempferol (K) glycosides; K3, K6, and K9, and the latter two did not have K3, K6, and K9. A fluorescence imaging system (FIS) was used to characterize steady state florescence images of the sample leaves measured at wavelengths centered at 450, 550, 680, and 740 nm with an excitation at 360 nm. Images taken with FIS greatly complement non-imaging fluorescence measurements by characterizing the spatial variation of fluorescence within leaves. We also acquired fluorescence emission spectra to characterize spectral features of the soybean flavonol isolines. The emission spectral shape of the fluorescence emission characteristics were not significantly different between the soybeans that contain kaempferol glycosides and the ones that do not contain kaempferol glycosides. Typical emission maxima of green vegetation in the blue, green, red, and far-red bands were noticed in all four soybean isolines. However, plants containing kaempferol glycosides, OX922 and OX941 had significantly lower intensities throughout the wavelength regions. These results imply that fluorescence emission intensities in the fluorescence emission bands studied are significantly affected by the presence and absence of kaempferol glycosides concentrations (UV radiation screening compounds). Pure kaempferol glycoside dissolved in solution show minimal fluorescence emission when excited with the absorption maximum radiation at 365 nm. However, a broad band emission can be seen in the green

  13. Enhancement of fluorescence quenching and exciplex formation in DNA major groove by double incorporation of modified fluorescent deoxyuridines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanaka, Makiko; Oguma, Kazuhiro; Saito, Yoshio; Saito, Isao

    2012-06-15

    5-(1-Naphthalenylethynyl)-2'-deoxyuridine ((N)U) and 5-[(4-cyano-1-naphthalenyl)ethynyl]-2'-deoxyuridine ((CN)U) were synthesized and incorporated into oligodeoxynucleotides. Fluorescence emissions of modified duplexes containing double (N)U were efficiently quenched depending upon the sequence pattern of the naphthalenes in DNA major groove, as compared to the duplex possessing single (N)U. When one of the naphthalene moieties has a cyano substituent, the exciplex emission from the chromophores in DNA major groove was observed at longer wavelength. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Synthesis of anti-aggregation silver nanoparticles based on inositol hexakisphosphoric micelles for a stable surface enhanced Raman scattering substrate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Na; Yang Haifeng; Zhu Xuan; Zhang Rui; Wang Yao; Huang Guanfeng; Zhang Zongrang

    2009-01-01

    We report a novel method of synthesizing a kind of silver nanoparticles aided by the inositol hexakisphosphoric micelle as a soft template and stabilizer. By controlling the reaction time, UV-vis and TEM observations of the size growth of the nanoparticles are performed. Careful examinations of surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra of 2-mercaptopyridine (2-Mpy) on the as-produced silver nanoparticles exhibit very stable and reproducible Raman signals within about 4 months.

  15. Poly(o-phenylenediamine) colloid-quenched fluorescent oligonucleotide as a probe for fluorescence-enhanced nucleic acid detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Jingqi; Li, Hailong; Luo, Yonglan; Wang, Lei; Zhang, Yingwei; Sun, Xuping

    2011-02-01

    In this Letter, we demonstrate that chemical oxidation polymerization of o-phenylenediamine (OPD) by potassium bichromate at room temperature results in the formation of submicrometer-scale poly(o-phenylenediamine) (POPD) colloids. Such colloids can absorb and quench dye-labeled single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) very effectively. In the presence of a target, a hybridization event occurs, which produces a double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) that detaches from the POPD surface, leading to recovery of dye fluorescence. With the use of an oligonucleotide (OND) sequence associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as a model system, we demonstrate the proof of concept that POPD colloid-quenched fluorescent OND can be used as a probe for fluorescence-enhanced nucleic acid detection with selectivity down to single-base mismatch.

  16. A Far-ultraviolet Fluorescent Molecular Hydrogen Emission Map of the Milky Way Galaxy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jo, Young-Soo; Min, Kyoung-Wook [Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-701 (Korea, Republic of); Seon, Kwang-Il; Han, Wonyong [Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI), 776 Daedeokdae-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-348 (Korea, Republic of); Edelstein, Jerry, E-mail: stspeak@gmail.com [Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720 (United States)

    2017-08-01

    We present the far-ultraviolet (FUV) fluorescent molecular hydrogen (H{sub 2}) emission map of the Milky Way Galaxy obtained with FIMS/SPEAR covering ∼76% of the sky. The extinction-corrected intensity of the fluorescent H{sub 2} emission has a strong linear correlation with the well-known tracers of the cold interstellar medium (ISM), including color excess E(B–V) , neutral hydrogen column density N (H i), and H α emission. The all-sky H{sub 2} column density map was also obtained using a simple photodissociation region model and interstellar radiation fields derived from UV star catalogs. We estimated the fraction of H{sub 2} ( f {sub H2}) and the gas-to-dust ratio (GDR) of the diffuse ISM. The f {sub H2} gradually increases from <1% at optically thin regions where E(B–V) < 0.1 to ∼50% for E(B–V)  = 3. The estimated GDR is ∼5.1 × 10{sup 21} atoms cm{sup −2} mag{sup −1}, in agreement with the standard value of 5.8 × 10{sup 21} atoms cm{sup −2} mag{sup −1}.

  17. Eco-friendly synthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles with enhanced bactericidal activity and study of silver catalyzed reduction of 4-nitrophenol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naraginti, Saraschandra; Sivakumar, A

    2014-07-15

    The present study reports a simple and robust method for synthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles using Coleus forskohlii root extract as reducing and stabilizing agent. Stable silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and gold nanopoarticles (AuNPs) were formed on treatment of an aqueous silver nitrate (AgNO3) and chloroauric acid (HAuCl4) solutions with the root extract. The nanoparticles obtained were characterized by UV-Visible spectroscopy, Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). UV-Vis and TEM analysis indicate that with higher quantities of root extract, the interaction is enhanced leading to size reduction of spherical metal nanoparticles. XRD confirms face-centered cubic phase and the diffraction peaks can be attributed to (111), (200), (222) and (311) planes for these nanoparticles. These synthesized Ag and Au nanoparticles were found to exhibit excellent bactericidal activity against clinically isolated selected pathogens such as Escherichia coli (E. coli), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). The synthesized AgNPs were also found to function as an efficient green catalyst in the reduction of anthropogenic pollutant 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP) by sodium borohydride, which was apparent from the periodical color change from bright yellow to colorless, after the addition of AgNPs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Plasmon mode excitation and photoluminescence enhancement on silver nanoring

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuchmizhak, Aleksandr A.; Gurbatov, Stanislav O.; Kulchin, Yuri N.; Vitrik, Oleg B.

    2015-12-01

    We demonstrate a simple and high-performance laser-assisted technique for silver nanoring fabrication, which includes the ablation of the Ag film by focused nanosecond pulses and subsequent reactive ion polishing. The nanoring diameter and thickness can be controlled by optimizing both the pulse energy and the metal film thickness at laser ablation step, while the subsequent reactive ion polishing provides the ability to fabricate the nanoring with desirable height. Scattering patterns of s-polarized collimated laser beam obliquely illuminating the nanoring demonstrate the focal spot inside the nanoring shifted from its center at a distance of ~0.57Rring. Five-fold enhancement of the photoluminescence signal from the Rhodamine 6G organic dye near the Ag nanoring was demonstrated. This enhancement was attributed to the increase of the electromagnetic field amplitude near the nanoring surface arising from excitation of the multipole plasmon modes traveling along the nanoring. This assumption was confirmed by dark-field back-scattering spectrum of the nanoring measured under white-light illumination, as well as by supporting finite-difference time-domain simulations.

  19. Organic SIMS: the influence of time on the ion yield enhancement by silver and gold deposition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adriaensen, L.; Vangaever, F.; Gijbels, R.

    2004-06-01

    A series of organic dyes and pharmaceuticals was used to study the secondary ion yield enhancement by metal deposition. The molecules were dissolved in methanol and spincasted on silicon substrates. Subsequently, silver or gold was evaporated on the samples to produce a very thin coating. The coated samples, when measured with TOF-SIMS, showed a considerable increase in characteristic secondary ion intensity. Gold-evaporated samples appear to exhibit the highest signal enhancement. These observations apply to organic samples in general, an advantage that allows to use the technique of metal deposition on real-world samples. However, the observed signal increase does not occur at any given moment. The time between metal deposition on the sample surface and the measuring of the sample with TOF-SIMS appears to have an important influence on the enhancement of the secondary ion intensities. In consideration of these observations several experiments were carried out, in which the spincasted samples were measured at different times after sample preparation, i.e., after gold or silver was deposited on the sample surface. The results show that, depending on the sample and the metal deposited, the secondary ion signals reach their maximum at different times. Further study will be necessary to detect the mechanism responsible for the observed enhancement effect.

  20. Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles aimed at improving theranostics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vedelago, José; Gomez, Cesar G.; Valente, Mauro; Mattea, Facundo

    2018-05-01

    Nowadays, the combination of diagnosis and therapy, known as theranostics, is one of the keys for an optimal treatment for cancer diseases. Theranostics can be significantly improved by incorporating metallic nanoparticles that are specifically delivered and accumulated in cancerous tissue. In this context, precise knowledge about dosimetric effects in nanoparticle-infused tissues as well as the detection and processing of emerging radiation are extremely important issues. In the last years the first studies on theranostic nanomaterials in gel dosimetry have been presented but there is still a broad field of study to explore. Most of gel dosimetric materials are extremely sensible to modifications in their composition, the addition of enhancers, metallic or inorganic charges can alter their stability and dosimetric properties; therefore, thorough studies must be made before the incorporation of any type of modifier. In this work, the synthesis of metallic nanoparticles suitable for gel dosimetry for x-ray applications is presented. A green synthesis process of silver nanoparticles coated with porcine skin gelatin by thermal reduction of silver nitrate is presented. Nanoparticles were obtained and purified for their application in gel dosimetry. Also, nanoparticles size distribution, reaction yield and the preliminar application as theranostic agents were tested in Fricke gel dosimetry in the keV range. The obtained nanoparticles were successfully used in theranostic applications acting as fluorescent agents and dose enhancers in X-ray beam irradiation simultaneously.

  1. SUZAKU OBSERVATION OF STRONG FLUORESCENT IRON LINE EMISSION FROM THE YOUNG STELLAR OBJECT V1647 ORI DURING ITS NEW X-RAY OUTBURST

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hamaguchi, Kenji; Grosso, Nicolas; Kastner, Joel H.; Richmond, Michael; Weintraub, David A.

    2010-01-01

    The Suzaku X-ray satellite observed the young stellar object (YSO) V1647 Ori on 2008 October 8 during the new mass accretion outburst reported in 2008 August. During the 87 ks observation with a net exposure of 40 ks, V1647 Ori showed a high level of X-ray emission with a gradual decrease in flux by a factor of 5 and then displayed an abrupt flux increase by an order of magnitude. Such enhanced X-ray variability was also seen in XMM-Newton observations in 2004 and 2005 during the 2003-2005 outburst, but has rarely been observed for other YSOs. The spectrum clearly displays emission from Helium-like iron, which is a signature of hot plasma (kT ∼ 5 keV). It also shows a fluorescent iron Kα line with a remarkably large equivalent width (EW) of ∼600 eV. Such a large EW suggests that a part of the incident X-ray emission that irradiates the circumstellar material and/or the stellar surface is hidden from our line of sight. XMM-Newton spectra during the 2003-2005 outburst did not show a strong fluorescent iron Kα line, so that the structure of the circumstellar gas very close to the stellar core that absorbs and re-emits X-ray emission from the central object may have changed in between 2005 and 2008. This phenomenon may be related to changes in the infrared morphology of McNeil's nebula between 2004 and 2008.

  2. One-pot synthesis of gold nanoclusters with bright red fluorescence and good biorecognition abilities for visualization fluorescence enhancement detection of E. coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jiali; Lu, Lili; Xu, Suying; Wang, Leyu

    2015-03-01

    A facile one-pot strategy was developed for the synthesis of lysozyme functionalized fluorescence gold nanoclusters (AuNCs). The lysozymes added to reduce Au(3+) ions and stabilize the AuNCs during the synthesis were coated on the AuNCs surface and retained their specific recognition ability for bacteria such as Escherichia coli (E. coli). Based on such ability, these AuNCs were specifically attached onto the surface of E. coli, which resulted in great red fluorescence enhancement. Nevertheless, the bovine serum albumin (BSA) stabilized AuNCs could not recognize E. coli and no fluorescence enhancement was observed. Upon the addition of E. coli, the red fluorescence intensity of lysozyme-AuNCs was enhanced linearly over the range of 2.4×10(4) -6.0×10(6) CFU/mL of E. coli with high sensitivity (LOD=2.0×10(4) CFU/mL, S/N=3). The visualization fluorescence evolution may enable the rapid and real-time detection of bacteria. This study may be extended to other functional proteins such as antibody, enzyme, and peptide functionalized nanoclusters while retaining the bioactivity of coating proteins and find wide applications in the fields of biochemistry and biomedicine. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Measuring DNA hybridization using fluorescent DNA-stabilized silver clusters to investigate mismatch effects on therapeutic oligonucleotides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Bruin, Donny; Bossert, Nelli; Aartsma-Rus, Annemieke; Bouwmeester, Dirk

    2018-04-06

    Short nucleic acid oligomers have found a wide range of applications in experimental physics, biology and medicine, and show potential for the treatment of acquired and genetic diseases. These applications rely heavily on the predictability of hybridization through Watson-Crick base pairing to allow positioning on a nanometer scale, as well as binding to the target transcripts, but also off-target binding to transcripts with partial homology. These effects are of particular importance in the development of therapeutic oligonucleotides, where off-target effects caused by the binding of mismatched sequences need to be avoided. We employ a novel method of probing DNA hybridization using optically active DNA-stabilized silver clusters (Ag-DNA) to measure binding efficiencies through a change in fluorescence intensity. In this way we can determine their location-specific sensitivity to individual mismatches in the sequence. The results reveal a strong dependence of the hybridization on the location of the mismatch, whereby mismatches close to the edges and center show a relatively minor impact. In parallel, we propose a simple model for calculating the annealing ratios of mismatched DNA sequences, which supports our experimental results. The primary result shown in this work is a demonstration of a novel technique to measure DNA hybridization using fluorescent Ag-DNA. With this technique, we investigated the effect of mismatches on the hybridization efficiency, and found a significant dependence on the location of individual mismatches. These effects are strongly influenced by the length of the used oligonucleotides. The novel probe method based on fluorescent Ag-DNA functions as a reliable tool in measuring this behavior. As a secondary result, we formulated a simple model that is consistent with the experimental data.

  4. Extracellular synthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles by Sporosarcina koreensis DC4 and their biological applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Priyanka; Singh, Hina; Kim, Yeon Ju; Mathiyalagan, Ramya; Wang, Chao; Yang, Deok Chun

    2016-05-01

    The present study highlights the microbial synthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles by Sporosarcina koreensis DC4 strain, in an efficient way. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry, which displayed maximum absorbance at 424nm and 531nm for silver and gold nanoparticles, respectively. The spherical shape of nanoparticles was characterized by field emission transmission electron microscopy. The energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and elemental mapping were displayed the purity and maximum elemental distribution of silver and gold elements in the respective nanoproducts. The X-ray diffraction spectroscopy results demonstrate the crystalline nature of synthesized nanoparticles. The particle size analysis demonstrate the nanoparticles distribution with respect to intensity, volume and number of nanoparticles. For biological applications, the silver nanoparticles have been explored in terms of MIC and MBC against pathogenic microorganisms such as Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus. Moreover, the silver nanoparticles in combination with commercial antibiotics, such as vancomycin, rifampicin, oleandomycin, penicillin G, novobiocin, and lincomycin have been explored for the enhancement of antibacterial activity and the obtained results showed that 3μg concentration of silver nanoparticles sufficiently enhance the antimicrobial efficacy of commercial antibiotics against pathogenic microorganism. Furthermore, the silver nanoparticles potential has been reconnoitered for the biofilm inhibition by S. aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and E. coli and the results revealed sufficient activity at 6μg concentration. In addition, gold nanoparticles have been applied for catalytic activity, for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol using sodium borohydride and positive results were attained. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All

  5. Enhancement of 800 nm upconversion emission in a thulium doped tellurite microstructured fiber pumped by a 1560 nm femtosecond fiber laser

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jia, Zhixu; Zheng, Kezhi [State Key Laboratory of Optical Fiber and Cable Manufacture Technology, Yangtze Optical Fiber and Cable Joint Stock Limited Company, Wuhan 430073 (China); State Key Laboratory on Integrated Optoelectronics, College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 (China); Yao, Chuanfei; Wang, Shunbin; Qin, Guanshi, E-mail: qings@jlu.edu.cn; Qin, Weiping, E-mail: wpqin@jlu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory on Integrated Optoelectronics, College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 (China); Xiong, Liangming; Luo, Jie; Lv, Dajuan [State Key Laboratory of Optical Fiber and Cable Manufacture Technology, Yangtze Optical Fiber and Cable Joint Stock Limited Company, Wuhan 430073 (China); Ohishi, Yasutake [Research Center for Advanced Photon Technology, Toyota Technological Institute, 2-12-1 Hisakata, Tempaku, Nagoya 468–8511 (Japan)

    2016-04-28

    We report enhanced upconversion (UC) fluorescence in Tm{sup 3+} doped tellurite microstructured fibers (TDTMFs) fabricated by using a rod-in-tube method. Under the pumping of a 1560 nm femtosecond fiber laser, ultrabroadband supercontinuum light expanding from ∼1050 to ∼2700 nm was generated in a 4 cm long TDTMF. Simultaneously, intense 800 nm UC emission from the {sup 3}H{sub 4} → {sup 3}H{sub 6} transition of Tm{sup 3+} was observed in the same TDTMF. Compared to that pumped by a 1560 nm continuous wave fiber laser, the UC emission intensity was enhanced by ∼4.1 times. The enhancement was due to the spectral broadening in the TDTMF under the pumping of the 1560 nm femtosecond fiber laser.

  6. [Selected enhancement of different order stokes lines of SRS by using fluorescence of mixed dye solution].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zuo, Hao-yi; Gao, Jie; Yang, Jing-guo

    2007-03-01

    A new method to enhance the intensity of the different orders of Stokes lines of SRS by using mixed dye fluorescence is reported. The Stokes lines from the second-order to the fifth-order of CCl4 were enhanced by the fluorescence of mixed R6G and RB solutions in different proportions of 20:2, 20:13 and 20:40 (R6g:Rb), respectively. It is considered that the Stokes lines from the second-order to the fifth-order are near the fluorescence peaks of the three mixed solutions, and far from the absorption peaks of R6g and Rb, so the enhancement effect dominates the absorption effect; as a result, these stokes lines are enhanced. On the contrary, the first-order stokes line is near the absorption peak of RB and far from the fluorescence peaks of the mixed solutions, which leads to the weakening of this stokes line. It is also reported that the first-order, the second-order and the third-order Stokes lines of benzene were enhanced by the fluorescence of mixed solutions of R6g and DCM with of different proportions. The potential application of this method is forecasted.

  7. Pyrene-Phosphonate Conjugate: Aggregation-Induced Enhanced Emission, and Selective Fe3+ Ions Sensing Properties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sachin D. Padghan

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available A new pyrene-phosphonate colorimetric receptor 1 has been designed and synthesized in a one-step process via amide bond formation between pyrene butyric acid chloride and phosphonate-appended aniline. The pyrene-phosphonate receptor 1 showed aggregation-induced enhanced emission (AIEE properties in water/acetonitrile (ACN solutions. Dynamic light scattering (DLS characterization revealed that the aggregates of receptor 1 at 80% water fraction have an average size of ≈142 nm. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM analysis confirmed the formation of spherical aggregates upon solvent evaporation. The sensing properties of receptor 1 were investigated by UV-vis, fluorescence emission spectroscopy, and other optical methods. Among the tested metal ions, receptor 1 is capable of recognizing the Fe3+ ion selectively. The changes in spectral measurements were explained on the basis of complex formation. The composition of receptor 1 and Fe3+ ions was determined by using Job’s plot and found to be 1:1. The receptor 1–Fe3+ complex showed a reversible UV-vis response in the presence of EDTA.

  8. Synthesis and fluorescence properties of some difluoroboron β-diketonate complexes and composite containing PMMA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xing, Dongye; Hou, Yanjun; Niu, Haijun

    2018-03-01

    A series of difluoroboron β-diketonate complexes, containing the indon-β-diketonate ligand carrying methyl or methoxyl substituents was synthesized. The crystal structures of the complexes were confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The fluorescence properties of compounds were studied in solution state, solid state and on PMMA polymer matrix. The photophysical data of compounds 2a-2d exhibited strong fluorescence and photostability under the ultraviolet light (Hg lamp). The complex 2b showed higher fluorescence intensity in solution state as compared to other complexes of the series. The complexes 2c and 2d showed higher fluorescence intensity in the solid state, which are ascribed to the stronger π-π interactions between ligands in the solid state. The introduction of methoxyl or methyl groups on the benzene rings enhanced the absorption intensity, emission intensity, quantum yields and fluorescence lifetimes due to their electron-donating nature. Furthermore, the complex 2b was doped into the PMMA to produce hybrid materials, where the PMMA matrix acted as sensitizer for the central boron ion to enhance the fluorescence emission intensity and quantum yields.

  9. Zinc oxide nanotubes decorated with silver nanoparticles as an ultrasensitive substrate for surface-enhanced Raman scattering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gao, M.; Feng, B.; Sun, Y.; Xing, G.; Li, S.; Yang, J.; Yang, L.; Zhang, Y.; Liu, H.; Fan, H.; Sui, Y.; Zhang, Z.; Liu, S.; Song, H.

    2012-01-01

    We report on the fabrication of a highly aligned silver-decorated array of zinc oxide nanotubes for use in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The ZnO nanotube array was first prepared by chemical etching, and the silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were then deposited on their surface by magnetron sputtering. Such ZnO/Ag hybrid structures are shown to act as SERS-active substrates with remarkable sensitivity. The enhancement factor can be as high as 10 5 when using 4-mercaptopyridine in solution as a SERS probe. The synergistic combination between SERS 'hot spots' and the formation of an interfacial electric field between the zinc oxide nanotubes and the AgNPs in our opinion contribute to the high sensitivity. The relative standard deviations of signal intensities for the major SERS peaks are <7 %. This demonstrates that the optimized ZnO/Ag hybrid represents an excellent SERS substrate that may be used in trace analysis and ultrasensitive molecular sensing. (author)

  10. Selective recognition of monohydrogen phosphate by fluorescence enhancement of a new cerium complex

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ganjali, Mohammad Reza; Hosseini, Morteza; Memari, Zahra; Faridbod, Farnoush; Norouzi, Parviz; Goldooz, Hassan; Badiei, Alireza

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: ► Finding a new fluorescent enhancing chemosensor for phosphate ions. ► Synthesis of a new complex (bis(8-hydroxy quinoline-5-solphonate) cerium(III) chloride (Ce(QS) 2 Cl)) as a practical fluorescent probe. ► Analysis of phosphate content in three kinds of fertilizers, mixed fertilizer (N–P–K), triple super phosphate (TSP), and single super phosphate (SSP) (from Zarrin Kood Co., Tehran, Iran). - Abstract: Bis(8-hydroxy quinoline-5-solphonate) cerium(III) chloride (Ce(QS) 2 Cl) (L) was synthesized and then used as a novel fluorescent sensor for anion recognition. Preliminarily study showed that fluorescence of L enhanced selectively in the presence of HPO 4 2− ion. This enhancement is attributed to a 1:1 complex formation between L and HPO 4 2− anion. The association constant of 1:1 complex of L-HPO 4 2− was calculated as 3.0 × 10 6 . Thus, L was utilized as a basis for a selective detection of HPO 4 2− anion in solution. The linear response range of the proposed fluorescent chemo-sensor covers a concentration range of HPO 4 2− from 3.3 × 10 −7 to 5.0 × 10 −6 mol L −1 with a detection limit of 2.5 × 10 −8 mol L −1 . L showed selective and sensitive fluorescence enhancement response toward HPO 4 2− ion in comparison with I 3 − , NO 3 − , CN − , CO 3 2− , Br − , Cl − , F − , H 2 PO 4 − and SO 4 2− ions. It was probably attributed to the higher stability of the inorganic complex between HPO 4 2− ion and L. The method was successfully applied for analysis of phosphate ions in some fertilizers samples.

  11. Spatial variability of oceanic phycoerythrin spectral types derived from airborne laser-induced fluorescence emissions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoge, Frank E.; Wright, C. Wayne; Kana, Todd M.; Swift, Robert N.; Yungel, James K.

    1998-07-01

    We report spatial variability of oceanic phycoerythrin spectral types detected by means of a blue spectral shift in airborne laser-induced fluorescence emission. The blue shift of the phycoerythrobilin fluorescence is known from laboratory studies to be induced by phycourobilin chromophore substitution at phycoerythrobilin chromophore sites in some strains of phycoerythrin-containing marine cyanobacteria. The airborne 532-nm laser-induced phycoerythrin fluorescence of the upper oceanic volume showed distinct segregation of cyanobacterial chromophore types in a flight transect from coastal water to the Sargasso Sea in the western North Atlantic. High phycourobilin levels were restricted to the oceanic (oligotrophic) end of the flight transect, in agreement with historical ship findings. These remotely observed phycoerythrin spectral fluorescence shifts have the potential to permit rapid, wide-area studies of the spatial variability of spectrally distinct cyanobacteria, especially across interfacial regions of coastal and oceanic water masses. Airborne laser-induced phytoplankton spectral fluorescence observations also further the development of satellite algorithms for passive detection of phytoplankton pigments. Optical modifications to the NASA Airborne Oceanographic Lidar are briefly described that permitted observation of the fluorescence spectral shifts.

  12. Ambiance-dependent agglomeration and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy response of self-assembled silver nanoparticles for plasmonic photovoltaic devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gwamuri, Jephias; Venkatesan, Ragavendran; Sadatgol, Mehdi; Mayandi, Jeyanthinath; Guney, Durdu O.; Pearce, Joshua M.

    2017-07-01

    The agglomeration/dewetting process of thin silver films provides a scalable method of obtaining self-assembled nanoparticles (SANPs) for plasmonics-based thin-film solar photovoltaic (PV) devices. We show the effect of annealing ambiance on silver SANP average size, particle/cluster finite shape, substrate area coverage/particle distribution, and how these physical parameters influence optical properties and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) responses of SANPs. Statistical analysis performed indicates that generally Ag SANPs processed in the presence of a gas (argon and nitrogen) ambiance tend to have smaller average size particles compared to those processed under vacuum. Optical properties are observed to be highly dependent on particle size, separation distance, and finite shape. The greatest SERS enhancement was observed for the argon-processed samples. There is a correlation between simulation and experimental data that indicate argon-processed AgNPs have a great potential to enhance light coupling when integrated to thin-film PV.

  13. Biocompatibility study of protein capped and uncapped silver nanoparticles on human hemoglobin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhunia, Amit Kumar; Kanti Samanta, Pijus; Aich, Debasish; Saha, Satyajit; Kamilya, Tapanendu

    2015-06-01

    The interactions of human hemoglobin with protein capped silver nanoparticles and bare silver nanoparticles were studied to understand fundamental perspectives about the biocompatibility of protein capped silver nanoparticles compared with bare silver nanoparticles. Bare silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by the chemical reduction method. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) analysis along with absorption at ~390 nm indicated the formation of bare Ag NPs. Protein coated Ag NPs were prepared by a green synthesis method. Absorption at ~440 nm along with ~280 nm indicated the formation of protein coated Ag NPs. The biocompatibility of the above mentioned Ag NPs was studied by interaction with human hemoglobin (Hb) protein. In presence of bare Ag NPs, the Soret band of Hb was red shifted. This revealed the distortion of iron from the heme pockets of Hb. Also, the fluorescence peak of Hb was quenched and red shifted which indicated that Hb became unfolded in the presence of bare Ag NPs. No red shift of the absorption of Soret, along with no shift and quenching of the fluorescence peak of Hb were observed in the presence of protein coated Ag NPs. A hemolysis assay suggested that protein coated Ag NPs were more biocompatible than bare one.

  14. Hybrid nanostructures of well-organized arrays of colloidal quantum dots and a self-assembled monolayer of gold nanoparticles for enhanced fluorescence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Xiaoying; McBride, Sean P.; Jaeger, Heinrich M.; Nealey, Paul F.

    2016-07-01

    Hybrid nanomaterials comprised of well-organized arrays of colloidal semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) in close proximity to metal nanoparticles (NPs) represent an appealing system for high-performance, spectrum-tunable photon sources with controlled photoluminescence. Experimental realization of such materials requires well-defined QD arrays and precisely controlled QD-metal interspacing. This long-standing challenge is tackled through a strategy that synergistically combines lateral confinement and vertical stacking. Lithographically generated nanoscale patterns with tailored surface chemistry confine the QDs into well-organized arrays with high selectivity through chemical pattern directed assembly, while subsequent coating with a monolayer of close-packed Au NPs introduces the plasmonic component for fluorescence enhancement. The results show uniform fluorescence emission in large-area ordered arrays for the fabricated QD structures and demonstrate five-fold fluorescence amplification for red, yellow, and green QDs in the presence of the Au NP monolayer. Encapsulation of QDs with a silica shell is shown to extend the design space for reliable QD/metal coupling with stronger enhancement of 11 times through the tuning of QD-metal spatial separation. This approach provides new opportunities for designing hybrid nanomaterials with tailored array structures and multiple functionalities for applications such as multiplexed optical coding, color display, and quantum transduction.

  15. A hybrid nanoantenna for highly enhanced directional spontaneous emission

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chou, R. Yuanying; Lu, Guowei, E-mail: guowei.lu@pku.edu.cn; Shen, Hongming; He, Yingbo; Cheng, Yuqing [State Key Laboratory for Mesoscopic Physics, Department of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Perriat, Pascal [MATEIS, UMR 5510 CNRS, INSA-Lyon, Université de Lyon, Villeurbanne Cedex 69621 (France); Martini, Matteo; Tillement, Olivier [ILM, UMR 5306 CNRS, Université de Lyon, Villeurbanne Cedex 69622 (France); Gong, Qihuang [State Key Laboratory for Mesoscopic Physics, Department of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Collaborative Innovation Center of Quantum Matter, Beijing 100871 (China)

    2014-06-28

    Spontaneous emission modulated by a hybrid plasmonic nanoantenna has been investigated by employing finite-difference time-domain method. The hybrid nanoantenna configurations constituted by a gap hot-spot and of a plasmonic corrugated grating and a metal reflector sandwiching a SiO{sub 2} thin layer which appears promising for high spontaneous emission enhancement devices. Simulation assays show that the coupling between the gap-antenna and plasmonic corrugations reaches an ultra-high near-field enhancement factor in the excitation process. Moreover, concerning the emission process, the corrugations concentrate the far-field radiated power within a tiny angular volume, offering unprecedented collection efficiency. In the past decades, many kinds of optical antennas have been proposed and optimized to enhance single molecule detection. However, the excitation enhancement effect for single individual or dimmer plasmonic nanostructure is limited due to intrinsic nonradiative decay of the nanoparticle plasmon and quantum tunneling effect. The proposed hybrid configuration overwhelms the enhancement limit of single individual plasmonic structure. The findings provide an insight into spontaneous emission high enhancement through integrating the functions of different metallic nanostructures.

  16. A hybrid nanoantenna for highly enhanced directional spontaneous emission

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chou, R. Yuanying; Lu, Guowei; Shen, Hongming; He, Yingbo; Cheng, Yuqing; Perriat, Pascal; Martini, Matteo; Tillement, Olivier; Gong, Qihuang

    2014-01-01

    Spontaneous emission modulated by a hybrid plasmonic nanoantenna has been investigated by employing finite-difference time-domain method. The hybrid nanoantenna configurations constituted by a gap hot-spot and of a plasmonic corrugated grating and a metal reflector sandwiching a SiO 2 thin layer which appears promising for high spontaneous emission enhancement devices. Simulation assays show that the coupling between the gap-antenna and plasmonic corrugations reaches an ultra-high near-field enhancement factor in the excitation process. Moreover, concerning the emission process, the corrugations concentrate the far-field radiated power within a tiny angular volume, offering unprecedented collection efficiency. In the past decades, many kinds of optical antennas have been proposed and optimized to enhance single molecule detection. However, the excitation enhancement effect for single individual or dimmer plasmonic nanostructure is limited due to intrinsic nonradiative decay of the nanoparticle plasmon and quantum tunneling effect. The proposed hybrid configuration overwhelms the enhancement limit of single individual plasmonic structure. The findings provide an insight into spontaneous emission high enhancement through integrating the functions of different metallic nanostructures.

  17. Polarization control of spontaneous emission for rapid quantum-state initialization

    Science.gov (United States)

    DiLoreto, C. S.; Rangan, C.

    2017-04-01

    We propose an efficient method to selectively enhance the spontaneous emission rate of a quantum system by changing the polarization of an incident control field, and exploiting the polarization dependence of the system's spontaneous emission rate. This differs from the usual Purcell enhancement of spontaneous emission rates as it can be selectively turned on and off. Using a three-level Λ system in a quantum dot placed in between two silver nanoparticles and a linearly polarized, monochromatic driving field, we present a protocol for rapid quantum state initialization, while maintaining long coherence times for control operations. This process increases the overall amount of time that a quantum system can be effectively utilized for quantum operations, and presents a key advance in quantum computing.

  18. Enhancing Light-Trapping Properties of Amorphous Si Thin-Film Solar Cells Containing High-Reflective Silver Conductors Fabricated Using a Nonvacuum Process

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jun-Chin Liu

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available We proposed a low-cost and highly reflective liquid organic sheet silver conductor using back contact reflectors in amorphous silicon (a-Si single junction superstrate configuration thin-film solar cells produced using a nonvacuum screen printing process. A comparison of silver conductor samples with vacuum-system-sputtered silver samples indicated that the short-circuit current density (Jsc of sheet silver conductor cells was higher than 1.25 mA/cm2. Using external quantum efficiency measurements, the sheet silver conductor using back contact reflectors in cells was observed to effectively enhance the light-trapping ability in a long wavelength region (between 600 nm and 800 nm. Consequently, we achieved an optimal initial active area efficiency and module conversion efficiency of 9.02% and 6.55%, respectively, for the a-Si solar cells. The results indicated that the highly reflective sheet silver conductor back contact reflector layer prepared using a nonvacuum process is a suitable candidate for high-performance a-Si thin-film solar cells.

  19. One-pot and ultrafast synthesis of nitrogen and phosphorus co-doped carbon dots possessing bright dual wavelength fluorescence emission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Xiangcheng; Brückner, Christian; Lei, Yu

    2015-10-01

    Very brief microwave heating of aniline, ethylene diamine, and phosphoric acid in water at ambient pressure generated nitrogen and phosphorus co-doped carbon dots (N,P-CDs) that exhibit bright dual blue (centred at 450 nm; 51% quantum yield) and green (centred at 510 nm, 38% quantum yield) fluorescence emission bands. The N,P-CDs were characterized using TEM, XRD, XPS, IR, UV-vis, and fluorescence spectroscopy, demonstrating their partially crystalline carbon, partially amorphous structures, and the incorporation of O, N, and P into the carbogenic scaffold. The N,P-CDs demonstrated excitation-dependent and nearly pH-independent emission properties. The unique dual emission properties lay the foundation for the use of N,P-CDs in ratiometric sensing applications.Very brief microwave heating of aniline, ethylene diamine, and phosphoric acid in water at ambient pressure generated nitrogen and phosphorus co-doped carbon dots (N,P-CDs) that exhibit bright dual blue (centred at 450 nm; 51% quantum yield) and green (centred at 510 nm, 38% quantum yield) fluorescence emission bands. The N,P-CDs were characterized using TEM, XRD, XPS, IR, UV-vis, and fluorescence spectroscopy, demonstrating their partially crystalline carbon, partially amorphous structures, and the incorporation of O, N, and P into the carbogenic scaffold. The N,P-CDs demonstrated excitation-dependent and nearly pH-independent emission properties. The unique dual emission properties lay the foundation for the use of N,P-CDs in ratiometric sensing applications. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Detailed experimental section, XRD, FTIR, explosive sensing and the applications results. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr05549k

  20. Herbivory by an Outbreaking Moth Increases Emissions of Biogenic Volatiles and Leads to Enhanced Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation Capacity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yli-Pirilä, Pasi; Copolovici, Lucian; Kännaste, Astrid; Noe, Steffen; Blande, James D; Mikkonen, Santtu; Klemola, Tero; Pulkkinen, Juha; Virtanen, Annele; Laaksonen, Ari; Joutsensaari, Jorma; Niinemets, Ülo; Holopainen, Jarmo K

    2016-11-01

    In addition to climate warming, greater herbivore pressure is anticipated to enhance the emissions of climate-relevant biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from boreal and subarctic forests and promote the formation of secondary aerosols (SOA) in the atmosphere. We evaluated the effects of Epirrita autumnata, an outbreaking geometrid moth, feeding and larval density on herbivore-induced VOC emissions from mountain birch in laboratory experiments and assessed the impact of these emissions on SOA formation via ozonolysis in chamber experiments. The results show that herbivore-induced VOC emissions were strongly dependent on larval density. Compared to controls without larval feeding, clear new particle formation by nucleation in the reaction chamber was observed, and the SOA mass loadings in the insect-infested samples were significantly higher (up to 150-fold). To our knowledge, this study provides the first controlled documentation of SOA formation from direct VOC emission of deciduous trees damaged by known defoliating herbivores and suggests that chewing damage on mountain birch foliage could significantly increase reactive VOC emissions that can importantly contribute to SOA formation in subarctic forests. Additional feeding experiments on related silver birch confirmed the SOA results. Thus, herbivory-driven volatiles are likely to play a major role in future biosphere-vegetation feedbacks such as sun-screening under daily 24 h sunshine in the subarctic.

  1. Broadband infrared absorption enhancement by electroless-deposited silver nanoparticles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gritti, Claudia; Raza, Søren; Kadkhodazadeh, Shima

    2017-01-01

    Decorating semiconductor surfaces with plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) is considered a viable solution for enhancing the absorptive properties of photovoltaic and photodetecting devices. We propose to deposit silver NPs on top of a semiconductor wafer by a cheap and fast electroless plating technique....... Optical characterization confirms that the random array of electroless-deposited NPs improves absorption by up to 20% in a broadband of nearinfrared frequencies from the bandgap edge to 2000 nm. Due to the small filling fraction of particles, the reflection in the visible range is practically unchanged......, which points to the possible applications of such deposition method for harvesting photons in nanophotonics and photovoltaics. The broadband absorption is a consequence of the resonant behavior of particles with different shapes and sizes, which strongly localize the incident light at the interface...

  2. Bioaccumulation of silver in Daphnia magna:Waterborne and dietary exposure to nanoparticles and dissolved silver

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ribeiro, Fabianne; van Gestel, C.A.M.; Pavlaki, M.D.; Azevedo, S.; Soares, A.M.V.M.; Loureiro, S.

    2017-01-01

    Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NP) are incorporated into commercial products as antimicrobial agents, which potentiate their emission to the environment. The toxicity of Ag-NP has been associated with the release of Ag ions (Ag

  3. Discriminative detection of bivalent Cu by dual-emission ZnSe quantum dot fluorescence sensing via ratiometric fluorescence measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Chunlei; Zhou, Shujie; Xu, Shuhong; Wang, Zhuyuan; Cui, Yiping

    2014-01-01

    In this work, we showed that 1-thioglycerol (TG)-capped ZnSe quantum dots (QDs) with dual-emission could perform ideal QD fluorescence sensing for ratiometric fluorescence measurements. By comparing the fluorescence ratios at two emission peaks before and after the addition of cations, the discriminative detection of Cu(II) was realized, even in the case of co-existing with large amounts of other sensitive cations, such as Ag(I). The discriminative detection of Cu(II) is accurate with co-existing Ag(I) below 10 μmol L −1 . By a joint investigation of the ionic diffuse dynamics and carrier recombination dynamics, we found that the adsorbed layer of QDs plays a key role in the discriminative detection of Cu(II) from Ag(I) or other sensitive cations. The moderate adsorption capacity with a QD adsorbed layer makes Cu(II) capable of travelling across the QD double-layer structure, following a surface doping process via chemical reactions between Cu(II) and the QD surface atoms. As a result of Cu(II) doping, there were three major carrier recombination channels: the non-radiation recombination between the QD conduction band to the Cu(II) energy level, together with the non-radiation recombination and radiation recombination between the trap state energy levels and the Cu(II) energy level. As for Ag(I) and other sensitive cations, they have a strong adsorption capacity with the QD adsorbed layer, making them mainly present on the adsorbed layer. Due to the blocking of the ligand layer, we only observed weak coupling of the ZnSe conduction band with the Ag(I) energy level via a non-radiation recombination channel. (paper)

  4. High-performance hybrid white organic light-emitting devices without interlayer between fluorescent and phosphorescent emissive regions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Ning; Wang, Qi; Zhao, Yongbiao; Chen, Yonghua; Yang, Dezhi; Zhao, Fangchao; Chen, Jiangshan; Ma, Dongge

    2014-03-12

    By using mixed hosts with bipolar transport properties for blue emissive layers, a novel phosphorescence/fluorescence hybrid white OLED without using an interlayer between the fluorescent and phosphorescent regions is demonstrated. The peak EQE of the device is 19.0% and remains as high as 17.0% at the practical brightness of 1000 cd m(-2) . © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  5. Porous Silicon Covered with Silver Nanoparticles as Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) Substrate for Ultra-Low Concentration Detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kosović, Marin; Balarin, Maja; Ivanda, Mile; Đerek, Vedran; Marciuš, Marijan; Ristić, Mira; Gamulin, Ozren

    2015-12-01

    Microporous and macro-mesoporous silicon templates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates were produced by anodization of low doped p-type silicon wafers. By immersion plating in AgNO3, the templates were covered with silver metallic film consisting of different silver nanostructures. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs of these SERS substrates showed diverse morphology with significant difference in an average size and size distribution of silver nanoparticles. Ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared (UV-Vis-NIR) reflection spectroscopy showed plasmonic absorption at 398 and 469 nm, which is in accordance with the SEM findings. The activity of the SERS substrates was tested using rhodamine 6G (R6G) dye molecules and 514.5 nm laser excitation. Contrary to the microporous silicon template, the SERS substrate prepared from macro-mesoporous silicon template showed significantly broader size distribution of irregular silver nanoparticles as well as localized surface plasmon resonance closer to excitation laser wavelength. Such silver morphology has high SERS sensitivity that enables ultralow concentration detection of R6G dye molecules up to 10(-15) M. To our knowledge, this is the lowest concentration detected of R6G dye molecules on porous silicon-based SERS substrates, which might even indicate possible single molecule detection.

  6. Hue-shifted monomeric variants of Clavularia cyan fluorescent protein: identification of the molecular determinants of color and applications in fluorescence imaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Davidson Michael W

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In the 15 years that have passed since the cloning of Aequorea victoria green fluorescent protein (avGFP, the expanding set of fluorescent protein (FP variants has become entrenched as an indispensable toolkit for cell biology research. One of the latest additions to the toolkit is monomeric teal FP (mTFP1, a bright and photostable FP derived from Clavularia cyan FP. To gain insight into the molecular basis for the blue-shifted fluorescence emission we undertook a mutagenesis-based study of residues in the immediate environment of the chromophore. We also employed site-directed and random mutagenesis in combination with library screening to create new hues of mTFP1-derived variants with wavelength-shifted excitation and emission spectra. Results Our results demonstrate that the protein-chromophore interactions responsible for blue-shifting the absorbance and emission maxima of mTFP1 operate independently of the chromophore structure. This conclusion is supported by the observation that the Tyr67Trp and Tyr67His mutants of mTFP1 retain a blue-shifted fluorescence emission relative to their avGFP counterparts (that is, Tyr66Trp and Tyr66His. Based on previous work with close homologs, His197 and His163 are likely to be the residues with the greatest contribution towards blue-shifting the fluorescence emission. Indeed we have identified the substitutions His163Met and Thr73Ala that abolish or disrupt the interactions of these residues with the chromophore. The mTFP1-Thr73Ala/His163Met double mutant has an emission peak that is 23 nm red-shifted from that of mTFP1 itself. Directed evolution of this double mutant resulted in the development of mWasabi, a new green fluorescing protein that offers certain advantages over enhanced avGFP (EGFP. To assess the usefulness of mTFP1 and mWasabi in live cell imaging applications, we constructed and imaged more than 20 different fusion proteins. Conclusion Based on the results of our

  7. Can a novel silver nano coating reduce infections and maintain cell viability in vitro?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qureshi, Ammar T; Landry, Jace P; Dasa, Vinod; Janes, Marlene; Hayes, Daniel J

    2014-03-01

    Herein we report a facile layer-by-layer method for creating an antimicrobial coating composed of silver nanoparticles on medical grade titanium test discs. Nanoscale silver nanoparticle layers are attached to the titanium orthopedic implant material via aminopropyltriethoxy silane crosslinker that reacts with neighboring silane moieties to create an interconnected network. A monolayer of silane, followed by a monolayer of silver nanoparticles would form one self-assembled layer and this process can be repeated serially, resulting in increased silver nanoparticles deposition. The release rate of silver ion increases predictably with increasing numbers of layers and at appropriate thicknesses these coatings demonstrate 3-4 log reduction of viable Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. Increasing the thickness of the coatings resulted in reduced bacterial colonization as determined by fluorescent staining and image analysis. Interestingly, the cytotoxicity of murine 3T3 cells as quantified by fluorescent staining and flow cytometry, was minimal and did not vary significantly with the coating thickness. Additionally, these coatings are mechanically stable and resist delamination by orthogonal stress test. This simple layer-by-layer coating technique may provide a cost-effective and biocompatible method for reducing microbial colonization of implantable orthopedic devices.

  8. Carbon-dot-based dual-emission silica nanoparticles as a ratiometric fluorescent probe for vanadium(V) detection in mineral water samples

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Lijun; Zhang, Heng; Fan, Huanhuan; Jiang, Xiuming; Zhao, Wenjie; Xiang, Guo Qiang

    2018-01-01

    Herein, we propose a simple and effective strategy for designing a ratiometric fluorescent nanosensor. We designed and developed a carbon dots (CDs) based dual-emission nanosensor for vanadium(V) by coating the surface of dye-doped silica nanoparticles with CDs. The fluorescence of dual-emission silica nanoparticles was quenched in acetic acid through potassium bromate (KBrO3) oxidation. V(V) could catalyze KBrO3 oxidation reaction process, resulting in the ratiometric fluorescence quenching of dual-emission silica nanoparticles. We investigated several important parameters affecting the performance of the nanosensor. Under the optimized conditions, the detection limit of this nanosensor reached 1.1 ng mL- 1 and the linear range from 10 to 800 ng mL- 1. Furthermore, we found that the sensor was suitable for determination of V(V) in different mineral water samples with satisfactory results.

  9. Sensitive detection of mercury and copper ions by fluorescent DNA/Ag nanoclusters in guanine-rich DNA hybridization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Jun; Ling, Jian; Zhang, Xiu-Qing; Bai, Hui-Ping; Zheng, Liyan; Cao, Qiu-E; Ding, Zhong-Tao

    2015-02-25

    In this work, we designed a new fluorescent oligonucleotides-stabilized silver nanoclusters (DNA/AgNCs) probe for sensitive detection of mercury and copper ions. This probe contains two tailored DNA sequence. One is a signal probe contains a cytosine-rich sequence template for AgNCs synthesis and link sequence at both ends. The other is a guanine-rich sequence for signal enhancement and link sequence complementary to the link sequence of the signal probe. After hybridization, the fluorescence of hybridized double-strand DNA/AgNCs is 200-fold enhanced based on the fluorescence enhancement effect of DNA/AgNCs in proximity of guanine-rich DNA sequence. The double-strand DNA/AgNCs probe is brighter and stable than that of single-strand DNA/AgNCs, and more importantly, can be used as novel fluorescent probes for detecting mercury and copper ions. Mercury and copper ions in the range of 6.0-160.0 and 6-240 nM, can be linearly detected with the detection limits of 2.1 and 3.4 nM, respectively. Our results indicated that the analytical parameters of the method for mercury and copper ions detection are much better than which using a single-strand DNA/AgNCs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Time variation of fluorescence lifetime in enhanced cyan fluorescence protein

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Soonhyouk; Kim, Soo Yong; Park, Kyoungsook; Jeong, Jinyoung; Chung, Bong Hyun; Kim, Sok Won

    2010-01-01

    The lifetime variations of enhanced cyan fluorescence protein (ECFP) in relatively short integration time bins were studied via time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) measurement. We observed that minimum photon counts are necessary for the lifetime estimation to achieve a certain range of variance. The conditions to decrease the variance of lifetime were investigated and the channel width of the measurement of TCSPC data was found to be another important factor for the variance of lifetime. Though the lifetime of ECFP is best fit by a double exponential, a mono exponential fit for the same integration time is more stable. The results may be useful in the analysis of photophysical dynamics for ensemble molecules in short measurement time windows.

  11. Bulky Counterions: Enhancing the Two-Photon Excited Fluorescence of Gold Nanoclusters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bertorelle, Franck; Moulin, Christophe; Soleilhac, Antonin; Comby-Zerbino, Clothilde; Dugourd, Philippe; Russier-Antoine, Isabelle; Brevet, Pierre-François; Antoine, Rodolphe

    2018-01-19

    Increasing fluorescence quantum yields of ligand-protected gold nanoclusters has attracted wide research interest. The strategy consisting in using bulky counterions has been found to dramatically enhance the fluorescence. In this Communication, we push forward this concept to the nonlinear optical regime. We show that by an appropriate choice of bulky counterions and of solvent, a 30-fold increase in two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) signal at ≈600 nm for gold nanoclusters can be obtained. This would correspond to a TPEF cross-section in the range of 0.1 to 1 GM. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. UV plasmonic enhancement through three dimensional nano-cavity antenna array in aluminum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mao, Jieying; Stevenson, Peter; Montanaric, Danielle; Wang, Yunshan; Shumaker-Parry, Jennifer S.; Harris, Joel M.; Blair, Steve

    2017-08-01

    Metallic nanostructure can enhance fluorescence through excited surface plasmons which increase the local field as well as improve its quantum efficiency. When coupling to cavity resonance with proper gap dimension, gap hot spots can be generated to interact with fluorescence at their excitation/emission region in UV. A 3D nano-cavity antenna array in Aluminum has been conducted to generate local hot spot resonant at fluorescence emission resonance. Giant field enhancement has been achieved through coupling fundamental resonance modes of nanocavity into surface plasmons polaritons (SPPs). In this work, two distinct plasmonic structure of 3D resonant cavity nanoantenna has been studied and its plasmonic response has been scaled down to the UV regime through finite-difference-time-domain (FDTD) method. Two different strategies for antenna fabrication will be conducted to obtain D-coupled Dots-on-Pillar Antenna array (D2PA) through Focus Ion Beam (FIB) and Cap- Hole Pair Antenna array (CHPA) through nanosphere template lithography (NTL). With proper optimization of the structures, D2PA and CHPA square array with 280nm pitch have achieved distinct enhancement at fluorophore emission wavelength 350nm and excitation wavelength 280nm simultaneously. Maximum field enhancement can reach 20 and 65 fold in the gap of D2PA and CHPA when light incident from substrate, which is expected to greatly enhance fluorescent quantum efficiency that will be confirmed in fluorescence lifetime measurement.

  13. Direct and indirect fluorescent detection of tetracyclines using dually emitting carbon dots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qu, Fei; Sun, Zhe; Liu, Dongya; Zhao, Xianen; You, Jinmao

    2016-01-01

    The authors describe dual-emission carbon nanodots containing blue emitters (BE; peak emission at 385 nm under 315 nm excitation) and yellow emitters (YE; peak emission at 530 nm under 365 nm excitation), and how they can be applied to direct and indirect determination of tetracyclines (TCs). The direct detection scheme is based on the finding that tetracycline (TET), oxytetracycline, chlortetracycline and doxycycline quench the two emissions of the carbon dots. While direct determination is rapid and convenient, it cannot differentiate between TCs. The indirect detection scheme, in contrast, is based on the finding that Al (III) ions enhance the fluorescence of the YE in the carbon dots, and that they cause a blue shift in emission. It is, however, known that TET forms a strong complex with Al (III), and this can inhibit the interaction between Al (III) and the YE, so that the fluorescence of YE is not enhanced and blue-shifted by Al (III) in the presence of TET. This finding is exploited in a fluorescence turn-on/off assay for TET that can distinguish TET from other TCs. The linear range of indirect determination for TET extends from 1 nM to 30 μM, and the limit of detection is 0.52 nM. The indirect method was successfully applied to the determination of TET in spiked milk, fish and pork, and recoveries ranged from 91.7 to 102 %. (author)

  14. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering of 4-aminobenzenethiol sandwiched between silver nanoparticles and gold micro-powders

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Jeong Yong; Lee, Hyang Bong; Kim, Kwan; Shin Kuan Soo

    2015-01-01

    The surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity of micrometer-sized gold (μAu) powders is far weaker than that of micrometer-sized silver (μAg) powders. The Raman peaks of organics assembled on μAu powders can, however, be enhanced dramatically by depositing Ag nanoparticles thereon to form the so-called sandwich structures. This is demonstrated in this work by using 4-aminobenzenthiol (4-ABT) as the prototype organic. Besides, the b_2-type bands of 4-ABT are found to be enhanced more than the a1-type band, and this is presumed to be a result of the favorable Ag-to-Au charge transfer configuration of the sandwich structure (Ag/4-ABT/μAu), associated with the chemical enhancement mechanism in SERS

  15. Self-Assembly of Fluorescent Hybrid Core-Shell Nanoparticles and Their Application.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Chun; Tang, Fu; Wang, Xiaoyu; Li, Lidong

    2015-06-24

    In this work, a fluorescent hybrid core-shell nanoparticle was prepared by coating a functional polymer shell onto silver nanoparticles via a facile one-pot method. The biomolecule poly-L-lysine (PLL) was chosen as the polymer shell and assembled onto the silver core via the amine-reactive cross-linker, 3,3'-dithiobis(sulfosuccinimidylpropionate). The fluorescent anticancer drug, doxorubicin, was incorporated into the PLL shell through the same linkage. As the cross-linker possesses a thiol-cleavable disulfide bond, disassembly of the PLL shell was observed in the presence of glutathione, leading to controllable doxorubicin release. The silver core there provided an easily modified surface to facilitate the shell coating and ensures the efficient separation of as-prepared nanoparticles from their reaction mixture through centrifugation. Cell assays show that the prepared hybrid fluorescent nanoparticles can internalize into cells possessing excellent biocompatibility prior to the release of doxorubicin, terminating cancer cells efficiently as the doxorubicin is released at the intracellular glutathione level. Such properties are important for designing smart containers for target drug delivery and cellular imaging.

  16. Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles and its application for mosquito control

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Naba Kumar Mondal

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To synthesize and characterize silver nanoparticles from aqueous root extract of Parthenium hysterophorus (P. hysterophorus and also to evaluate the potentiality of synthesized silver nanoparticles as larvacidal agent against Culex quinquefasciatus (Cx. quinquefasciatus. Methods: The silver nano particles were generated using root extract of P. hysterophorus. The characterization of synthesized nanoparticles was done by visual color change, UV-Vis spectrum, scanning electron micrograph, fluorescent microscope and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Results: It was found that aqueous silver ions can be reduced by aqueous root extract of P. hysterophorus to generate extremely stable silver nanoparticles in aqueous medium. Larvae were exposed to varying concentrations of plant extracts, aqueous silver nitrate solution and synthesized silver nanoparticles for 0, 24 and 48 h separately. Aqueous root extract showed moderate larvicidal effects; however, the maximum efficacy (60.18% was observed with the synthesized silver nanoparticles against the larvae of Cx. quinquefasciatus. Conclusions: These results suggest that the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles have the potential to be used as an ideal eco-friently approach for the control of the Cx. quinquefasciatus. This is the first report on the mosquito larvicidal activity of the nano particle synthesized by P. hysterophorus.

  17. Mercury depletion as a way of changing the emission spectrum of a fluorescent lamp

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bakker, L.P.; Kroesen, G.M.W.

    2000-01-01

    We present a promising option for changing the emission spectrum of a fluorescent lamp. In a neon/mercury discharge, neon radiation is produced when the mercury density is sufficiently low. Under certain discharge conditions, radial cathaphoresis causes depletion of mercury atoms in the center of

  18. Two-component spin-coated Ag/CNT composite films based on a silver heterogeneous nucleation mechanism adhesion-enhanced by mechanical interlocking and chemical grafting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yang; Kang, Zhixin; Bessho, Takeshi

    2017-03-01

    In this paper, a new method for the synthesis of silver carbon nanotube (Ag/CNT) composite films as conductive connection units for flexible electronic devices is presented. This method is about a two-component solution process by spin coating with an after-treatment annealing process. In this method, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) act as the core of silver heterogeneous nucleation, which can be observed and analyzed by a field-emission scanning electron microscope. With the effects of mechanical interlocking, chemical grafting, and annealing, the interfacial adhesive strength between films and PET sheets was enhanced to 12 N cm-1. The tensile strength of the Ag/CNT composite films was observed to increase by 38% by adding 5 g l-1 MWCNTs. In the four-probe method, the resistivity of Ag/CNT-5 declined by 78.2% compared with pristine Ag films. The anti-fatigue performance of the Ag/CNT composite films was monitored by cyclic bending deformation and the results revealed that the growth rate of electrical resistance during the deformation was obviously retarded. As for industrial application, this method provides an efficient low-cost way to prepare Ag/CNT composite films and can be further applied to other coating systems.

  19. Spectroscopic analysis of the riboflavin-serum albumins interaction on silver nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Voicescu, Mariana, E-mail: voicescu@icf.ro; Angelescu, Daniel G. [Institute of Physical Chemistry ' Ilie Murgulescu' , Romanian Academy (Romania); Ionescu, Sorana [University of Bucharest, Department of Physical Chemistry (Romania); Teodorescu, Valentin S. [Institute of Atomic Physics, National Institute of Materials Physics (Romania)

    2013-04-15

    Spectrophotometric behavior of riboflavin (RF) adsorbed on silver nanoparticles as well as its interaction with two serum albumins, BSA and HSA, respectively, has been evidenced. The time evolution of the plasmonic features of the complexes formed by RF/BSA/HSA and Ag(0) nanoparticles having an average diameter of 10.0 {+-} 2.0 nm have been investigated by UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy. Using steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, the structure, stability, and dynamics of the serum albumins have been studied. The efficiency of energy transfer process between RF and serum albumins on silver nanoparticles has been estimated. A reaction mechanism of RF with silver nanoparticles is also proposed and the results are discussed with relevance to the involvement of the silver nanoparticles to the redox process of RF and to the RF-serum albumins interaction into a silver nanoparticles complex.

  20. Spectroscopic analysis of the riboflavin—serum albumins interaction on silver nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Voicescu, Mariana; Angelescu, Daniel G.; Ionescu, Sorana; Teodorescu, Valentin S.

    2013-04-01

    Spectrophotometric behavior of riboflavin (RF) adsorbed on silver nanoparticles as well as its interaction with two serum albumins, BSA and HSA, respectively, has been evidenced. The time evolution of the plasmonic features of the complexes formed by RF/BSA/HSA and Ag(0) nanoparticles having an average diameter of 10.0 ± 2.0 nm have been investigated by UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy. Using steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, the structure, stability, and dynamics of the serum albumins have been studied. The efficiency of energy transfer process between RF and serum albumins on silver nanoparticles has been estimated. A reaction mechanism of RF with silver nanoparticles is also proposed and the results are discussed with relevance to the involvement of the silver nanoparticles to the redox process of RF and to the RF-serum albumins interaction into a silver nanoparticles complex.

  1. A PDMS-based cylindrical hybrid lens for enhanced fluorescence detection in microfluidic systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Bor-Shyh; Yang, Yu-Ching; Ho, Chong-Yi; Yang, Han-Yu; Wang, Hsiang-Yu

    2014-02-13

    Microfluidic systems based on fluorescence detection have been developed and applied for many biological and chemical applications. Because of the tiny amount of sample in the system; the induced fluorescence can be weak. Therefore, most microfluidic systems deploy multiple optical components or sophisticated equipment to enhance the efficiency of fluorescence detection. However, these strategies encounter common issues of complex manufacturing processes and high costs. In this study; a miniature, cylindrical and hybrid lens made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to improve the fluorescence detection in microfluidic systems is proposed. The hybrid lens integrates a laser focusing lens and a fluorescence collecting lens to achieve dual functions and simplify optical setup. Moreover, PDMS has advantages of low-cost and straightforward fabrication compared with conventional optical components. The performance of the proposed lens is first examined with two fluorescent dyes and the results show that the lens provides satisfactory enhancement for fluorescence detection of Rhodamine 6G and Nile Red. The overall increments in collected fluorescence signal and detection sensitivity are more than 220% of those without lens, and the detection limits of Rhodamine 6G and Nile red are lowered to 0.01 μg/mL and 0.05 μg/mL, respectively. The hybrid lens is further applied to the detection of Nile red-labeled Chlorella vulgaris cells and it increases both signal intensity and detection sensitivity by more than 520%. The proposed hybrid lens also dramatically reduces the variation in detected signal caused by the deviation in incident angle of excitation light.

  2. Facile preparation of water dispersible polypyrrole nanotube-supported silver nanoparticles for hydrogen peroxide reduction and surface-enhanced Raman scattering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peng Yingjing; Qiu Lihua; Pan Congtao; Wang Cancan; Shang Songmin; Yan Feng

    2012-01-01

    Water dispersible polypyrrole nanotube/silver nanoparticle hybrids (PPyNT-COOAgNP) were synthesized via a cation-exchange method. The approach involves the surface functionalization of PPyNTs with carboxylic acid groups (-COOH), and cation-exchange with silver ions (Ag + ) and followed by the reduction of metal ions. The morphology and optical properties of the produced PPyNT-COOAgNP nanohybrids were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer, and UV–vis spectroscopy. The as-prepared PPyNT-COOAgNP nanohybrids exhibited well-defined response to the reduction of hydrogen peroxide, and as extremely suitable substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) with a high enhancement factor of 6.0 × 10 7 , and enabling the detection of 10 −12 M Rhodamine 6G solution.

  3. The double-resonance enhancement of stimulated low-frequency Raman scattering in silver-capped nanodiamonds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baranov, A. N.; Butsen, A. V.; Ionin, A. A.; Ivanova, A. K.; Kuchmizhak, A. A.; Kudryashov, S. I.; Kudryavtseva, A. D.; Levchenko, A. O.; Rudenko, A. A.; Saraeva, I. N.; Strokov, M. A.; Tcherniega, N. V.; Zayarny, D. A.

    2017-09-01

    Hybrid plasmonic-dielectric nano- and (sub)microparticles exhibit magnetic and electrical dipolar Mie-resonances, which makes them useful as efficient basic elements in surface-enhanced spectroscopy, non-linear light conversion and nanoscale light control. We report the stimulated low-frequency Raman scattering (SLFRS) of a nanosecond ruby laser radiation (central wavelength λ = 694.3 nm (full-width at half-maximum ≈ 0.015 cm-1), gaussian 1/e-intensity pulsewidth τ ≈ 20 ns, TEM00-mode pulse energy Emax ≈ 0.3 J) in nanodiamond (R ≈ 120 nm) hydrosols, induced via optomechanical coherent excitation of fundamental breathing eigen-modes, and the two-fold enhancement of SLFRS in Ag-decorated nanodiamonds, characterized by hybrid dipolar resonances of electrical (silver) and magnetic (diamond) nature. Hybrid metal-dielectric particles were prepared by means of nanosecond IR-laser ablation of solid silver target in diamond hydrosols with consecutive Ag-capping of diamonds, and were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, UV-vis, photoluminescence and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Intensities of the SLFR-scattered components and their size-dependent spectral shifts were measured in the highly sensitive stimulated scattering regime, indicating the high (≈ 30%) SLFRS conversion efficiency and the resonant character of the scattering species.

  4. In situ Silver Spot Preparation and on-Plate Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Detection in Thin Layer Chromatography Separation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herman, K.; Mircescu, N. E.; Szabo, L.; Leopold, L. F.; Chiş, V.; Leopold, N.

    2013-05-01

    An improved approach for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection of mixture constituents after thin layer chromatography (TLC) separation is presented. A SERS active silver substrate was prepared under open air conditions, directly on the thin silica film by photo-reduction of silver nitrate, allowing the detection of binary mixtures of cresyl violet, bixine, crystal violet, and Cu(II) complex of 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol. The recorded SERS spectrum provides a unique spectral fingerprint for each molecule; therefore the use of analyte standards is avoided, thus rendering the presented procedure advantageous compared to the conventional detection methodology in TLC.

  5. A light-up fluorescent probe for citrate detection based on bispyridinum amides with aggregation-induced emission feature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Chenchen; Hang, Yandi; Jiang, Tao; Yang, Ji; Zhang, Xiao; Hua, Jianli

    2018-02-01

    Citrate is an important intermediate in the citric acid cycle, a vital metabolic pathway for animals, plants and bacteria. It is of great significance to detect its levels in human beings because several diseases may cause the abnormal of citrate. In this paper, a new turn-on fluorescent sensor (TPE-Py) using the classic tetraphenylethylene (TPE) as the aggregation-induced emission (AIE) fluorophore and bipyridinium-based amides as the recognition receptor has been synthesized for the detection of citrate. The probe exhibits good selectivity and sensitivity to citrate with a relatively low detection limit (1.0 × 10 -7 M). The enhancement of the fluorescence is relevant with the AIE property based on the complexation of TPE-Py with citrate caused by the hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions between the bipyridinium diamides and citrate, which has been proved by 1 H NMR and mass spectra titration, scanning electronic microscope and dynamic light scattering analyses. More importantly, the quantification of citrate in artificial urine may develop TPE-Py fluorometric probe for the citrate detection in real biosystems. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Effect of carbon and nitrogen assimilation on chlorophyll fluorescence emission by the cyanobacterium Anacystis nidulans

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Romero, J.M.; Lara, C. (Instituto de Bioquimica Vegetal y Fotosintesis, Univ. de Sevilla y CSIC, Sevilla (ES)); Sivak, M.N. (Dept. of Biochemistry, Michigan State Univ., East Lansing (US))

    1992-01-01

    O{sub 2} evolution and chlorophyll A fluorescence emission have been monitored in intact cells of the cyanobacterium Anacystis nidulans 1402-1 to study the influence of carbon and nitrogen assimilation on the operation of the photosynthetic apparatus. The pattern of fluorescence induction in dark-adapted cyanobacterial cells was different from that of higher plants. Cyanobacteria undergo large, rapid state transitions upon illumination, which lead to marked changes in the fluorescence yield, complicating the estimation of quenching coefficients. The Kautsky effect was not evident, although it could be masked by a state II-state I transition, upon illumination with actinic light. The use of inhibitors of carbon assimilation such as D,L-glyceraldehyde or iodoacetamide allowed us to relate changes in variable fluorescence to active CO{sub 2} fixation. Ammonium, but not nitrate, induced non-photochemical fluorescence quenching, in agreement with a previous report on green algae, indicative of an ammonium-induced state i transition. (au).

  7. Radiation dosimetry by neutron or X ray fluorescence activation of residual silver in ionographic emulsions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heilmann, C.

    1987-01-01

    A global measuring technique which is sensitive enough to detect small silver contents in films for dosimetry applications is presented. The applications studied are neutron dosimetry by measuring residual silver due to recoil protons in developed emulsions and high dose dosimetry by the detection of photolytic silver in fixed emulsions. An individual fast neutron dosimeter which can be used in radiation protection was developed, along with an automatic data analysis and readout system. Application of this technique to the measurement of high radiation doses (100 to 1 million Gy) via the measurement of photolytic silver in fixed, but undeveloped, emulsions confirms the usefulness of the method [fr

  8. Fluorescence of berberine in microheterogeneous systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Colina, Ariel N.; Díaz, Marta S.; Gutiérrez, María Isela, E-mail: isela@unpata.edu.ar

    2013-12-15

    Spectral properties of the alkaloid berberine were studied in micellar solution and microemulsions based on anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate, cationic cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and nonionic Triton X-100 surfactants. Absorption and fluorescence emission spectra were determined. For screening the influence of type and concentration of micelles on the fluorescence of berberine a 3{sup 2} full factorial design was used. Higher responses were obtained when berberine was dissolved in sodium dodecyl sulfate micelles 0.01 M. Comparative results of fluorescence quantum yields (Φ{sub f}) reveal that the highest values (Φ{sub f}≥0.01) were observed in microemulsions. In the microheterogeneous systems investigated the most probable location of berberine is the micellar interfacial region. -- Highlights: • Spectroscopic propereies of berberine in microheterogeneous media were investigated. • Berberine shows enhanced fluorescence in SDS micelles as compared to water • Berberine is probably located in the interface of the microheterogeneous systems.

  9. Fluorescence of berberine in microheterogeneous systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Colina, Ariel N.; Díaz, Marta S.; Gutiérrez, María Isela

    2013-01-01

    Spectral properties of the alkaloid berberine were studied in micellar solution and microemulsions based on anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate, cationic cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and nonionic Triton X-100 surfactants. Absorption and fluorescence emission spectra were determined. For screening the influence of type and concentration of micelles on the fluorescence of berberine a 3 2 full factorial design was used. Higher responses were obtained when berberine was dissolved in sodium dodecyl sulfate micelles 0.01 M. Comparative results of fluorescence quantum yields (Φ f ) reveal that the highest values (Φ f ≥0.01) were observed in microemulsions. In the microheterogeneous systems investigated the most probable location of berberine is the micellar interfacial region. -- Highlights: • Spectroscopic propereies of berberine in microheterogeneous media were investigated. • Berberine shows enhanced fluorescence in SDS micelles as compared to water • Berberine is probably located in the interface of the microheterogeneous systems

  10. Effect of poly-α, γ, L-glutamic acid as a capping agent on morphology and oxidative stress-dependent toxicity of silver nanoparticles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stevanović M

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Magdalena Stevanović1, Branimir Kovačević2, Jana Petković3, Metka Filipič3, Dragan Uskoković11Institute of Technical Sciences of Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, 2Institute of General and Physical Chemistry, Belgrade, Serbia; 3Department of Genetic Toxicology and Cancer Biology, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, SloveniaAbstract: Highly stable dispersions of nanosized silver particles were synthesized using a straightforward, cost-effective, and ecofriendly method. Nontoxic glucose was utilized as a reducing agent and poly- α, γ, L-glutamic acid (PGA, a naturally occurring anionic polymer, was used as a capping agent to protect the silver nanoparticles from agglomeration and render them biocompatible. Use of ammonia during synthesis was avoided. Our study clearly demonstrates how the concentration of the capping agent plays a major role in determining the dimensions, morphology, and stability, as well as toxicity of a silver colloidal solution. Hence, proper optimization is necessary to develop silver colloids of narrow size distribution. The samples were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and zeta potential measurement. MTT assay results indicated good biocompatibility of the PGA-capped silver nanoparticles. Formation of intracellular reactive oxygen species was measured spectrophotometrically using 2,7-dichlorofluorescein diacetate as a fluorescent probe, and it was shown that the PGA-capped silver nanoparticles did not induce intracellular formation of reactive oxygen species.Keywords: silver nanoparticles, poly-α, γ, L-glutamic, green synthesis, morphology, cytotoxicity

  11. Antimicrobial Activities of Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized by Using Water Extract of Arnicae anthodium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dobrucka, Renata; Długaszewska, Jolanta

    2015-06-01

    Green synthesis of nanoparticles has gained significant importance in recent years and has become the one of the most preferred methods. Also, green synthesis of nanoparticles is valuable branch of nanotechnology. Plant extracts are eco-friendly and can be an economic option for synthesis of nanoparticles. This study presents method the synthesis of silver nanoparticles using water extract of Arnicae anthodium. Formation of silver nanoparticles was confirmed by UV-visble spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and total reflection X-ray fluorescence analysis. The morphology of the synthesized silver nanoparticles was verified by SEM-EDS. The obtained silver nanoparticles were used to study their antimicrobial activity.

  12. Fluorescence emission behavior of Eu(III) sorbed on calcium silicate hydrates as a secondary mineral formed without drying process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niibori, Yuichi; Narita, Masayuki; Chida, Taiji; Mimura, Hitoshi; Kirishima, Akira

    2014-01-01

    Calcium silicate hydrate (CSH) is a main component of cement-based material required for constructing the geological repository. As in many countries, since the repository in Japan is constructed below water table, we must consider the interaction of radionuclide with cement materials altered around the repository after the backfill. Using fluorescence emission spectra, so far, the authors have investigated the interaction of Eu(III) (as a chemical analog of Am(III)) with CSH gels as a secondary mineral formed without drying process, considering a condition saturated with groundwater. However, in such fluorescence emission behaviors, a deexcitation process of OH vibrators of light water and a quenching effect caused by Eu-Eu energy transfer between Eu atoms incorporated in the CSH gel must be considered. This study examined the fluorescence emission behavior of Eu(III) sorbed on CSH gels, by using La(III) (non-fluorescent ions) as a diluent of Eu(III). Furthermore, CSH samples were synthesized with CaO, SiO 2 , and heavy water (D 2 O) as a solvent in order to avoid the obvious deexcitation process of OH vibrators of light water. In the results, the peak around 618 nm was split into two peaks of 613 nm and 622 nm in the cases of Ca/Si=1.0 and 1.6. Then, the peak of 613 nm decreased with increment of Eu(III)/La(III) ratio. This means that the relative intensity of 613 nm is useful to quantify the amount of Eu(III) incorporated in CSH gel. Besides, the decay behavior of the fluorescence emission did not depend on the Eu/La concentration ratio. That is, such a quenching effect is neglectable. Additionally, the fluorescence emission spectra of Eu(III) showed that the state of Eu(III) depended on Ca/Si ratio of CSH. This suggested that there was several sites in CSH to incorporate Eu(III). When CSH is altered, whole cementitious material in repository must be altered forming cracks and leaching some calcium compositions. Therefore, the adsorptive capacity of CSH might

  13. M13 Bacteriophage/Silver Nanowire Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Sensor for Sensitive and Selective Pesticide Detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koh, Eun Hye; Mun, ChaeWon; Kim, ChunTae; Park, Sung-Gyu; Choi, Eun Jung; Kim, Sun Ho; Dang, Jaejeung; Choo, Jaebum; Oh, Jin-Woo; Kim, Dong-Ho; Jung, Ho Sang

    2018-03-28

    A surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensor comprising silver nanowires (AgNWs) and genetically engineered M13 bacteriophages expressing a tryptophan-histidine-tryptophan (WHW) peptide sequence (BPWHW) was fabricated by simple mixing of BPWHW and AgNW solutions, followed by vacuum filtration onto a glass-fiber filter paper (GFFP) membrane. The AgNWs stacked on the GFFP formed a high density of SERS-active hot spots at the points of nanowire intersections, and the surface-coated BPWHW functioned as a bioreceptor for selective pesticide detection. The BPWHW-functionalized AgNW (BPWHW/AgNW) sensor was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, confocal scanning fluorescence microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The Raman signal enhancement and the selective pesticide SERS detection properties of the BPWHW/AgNW sensor were investigated in the presence of control substrates such as wild-type M13 bacteriophage-decorated AgNWs (BPWT/AgNW) and undecorated AgNWs (AgNW). The BPWHW/AgNW sensor exhibited a significantly higher capture capability for pesticides, especially paraquat (PQ), than the control SERS substrates, and it also showed a relatively higher selectivity for PQ than for other bipyridylium pesticides such as diquat and difenzoquat. Furthermore, as a field application test, PQ was detected on the surface of PQ-pretreated apple peels, and the results demonstrated the feasibility of using a paper-based SERS substrate for on-site residual pesticide detection. The developed M13 bacteriophage-functionalized AgNW SERS sensor might be applicable for the detection of various pesticides and chemicals through modification of the M13 bacteriophage surface peptide sequence.

  14. Influence of photon beam energy on the dose enhancement factor caused by gold and silver nanoparticles: An experimental approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guidelli, Eder José; Baffa, Oswaldo

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: Noble metal nanoparticles have found several medical applications in the areas of radiation detection; x-ray contrast agents and cancer radiation therapy. Based on computational methods, many papers have reported the nanoparticle effect on the dose deposition in the surrounding medium. Here the authors report experimental results on how silver and gold nanoparticles affect the dose deposition in alanine dosimeters containing several concentrations of silver and gold nanoparticles, for five different beam energies, using electron spin resonance spectroscopy (ESR). Methods: The authors produced alanine dosimeters containing several mass percentage of silver and gold nanoparticles. Nanoparticle sizes were measured by dynamic light scattering and by transmission electron microscopy. The authors determined the dose enhancement factor (DEF) theoretically, using a widely accepted method, and experimentally, using ESR spectroscopy. Results: The DEF is governed by nanoparticle concentration, size, and position in the alanine matrix. Samples containing gold nanoparticles afford a DEF higher than 1.0, because gold nanoparticle size is homogeneous for all gold concentrations utilized. For samples containing silver particles, the silver mass percentage governs the nanoparticles size, which, in turns, modifies nanoparticle position in the alanine dosimeters. In this sense, DEF decreases for dosimeters containing large and segregated particles. The influence of nanoparticle size-position is more noticeable for dosimeters irradiated with higher beam energies, and dosimeters containing large and segregated particles become less sensitive than pure alanine (DEF < 1). Conclusions: ESR dosimetry gives the DEF in a medium containing metal nanoparticles, although particle concentration, size, and position are closely related in the system. Because this is also the case as in many real systems of materials containing inorganic nanoparticles, ESR is a valuable tool for

  15. Influence of photon beam energy on the dose enhancement factor caused by gold and silver nanoparticles: An experimental approach

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guidelli, Eder José, E-mail: ederguidelli@pg.ffclrp.usp.br; Baffa, Oswaldo [Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, 14040-901 Ribeirão Preto, SP (Brazil)

    2014-03-15

    Purpose: Noble metal nanoparticles have found several medical applications in the areas of radiation detection; x-ray contrast agents and cancer radiation therapy. Based on computational methods, many papers have reported the nanoparticle effect on the dose deposition in the surrounding medium. Here the authors report experimental results on how silver and gold nanoparticles affect the dose deposition in alanine dosimeters containing several concentrations of silver and gold nanoparticles, for five different beam energies, using electron spin resonance spectroscopy (ESR). Methods: The authors produced alanine dosimeters containing several mass percentage of silver and gold nanoparticles. Nanoparticle sizes were measured by dynamic light scattering and by transmission electron microscopy. The authors determined the dose enhancement factor (DEF) theoretically, using a widely accepted method, and experimentally, using ESR spectroscopy. Results: The DEF is governed by nanoparticle concentration, size, and position in the alanine matrix. Samples containing gold nanoparticles afford a DEF higher than 1.0, because gold nanoparticle size is homogeneous for all gold concentrations utilized. For samples containing silver particles, the silver mass percentage governs the nanoparticles size, which, in turns, modifies nanoparticle position in the alanine dosimeters. In this sense, DEF decreases for dosimeters containing large and segregated particles. The influence of nanoparticle size-position is more noticeable for dosimeters irradiated with higher beam energies, and dosimeters containing large and segregated particles become less sensitive than pure alanine (DEF < 1). Conclusions: ESR dosimetry gives the DEF in a medium containing metal nanoparticles, although particle concentration, size, and position are closely related in the system. Because this is also the case as in many real systems of materials containing inorganic nanoparticles, ESR is a valuable tool for

  16. Fluorescent genetic barcoding in mammalian cells for enhanced multiplexing capabilities in flow cytometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smurthwaite, Cameron A; Hilton, Brett J; O'Hanlon, Ryan; Stolp, Zachary D; Hancock, Bryan M; Abbadessa, Darin; Stotland, Aleksandr; Sklar, Larry A; Wolkowicz, Roland

    2014-01-01

    The discovery of the green fluorescent protein from Aequorea victoria has revolutionized the field of cell and molecular biology. Since its discovery a growing panel of fluorescent proteins, fluorophores and fluorescent-coupled staining methodologies, have expanded the analytical capabilities of flow cytometry. Here, we exploit the power of genetic engineering to barcode individual cells with genes encoding fluorescent proteins. For genetic engineering, we utilize retroviral technology, which allows for the expression of ectopic genetic information in a stable manner in mammalian cells. We have genetically barcoded both adherent and nonadherent cells with different fluorescent proteins. Multiplexing power was increased by combining both the number of distinct fluorescent proteins, and the fluorescence intensity in each channel. Moreover, retroviral expression has proven to be stable for at least a 6-month period, which is critical for applications such as biological screens. We have shown the applicability of fluorescent barcoded multiplexing to cell-based assays that rely themselves on genetic barcoding, or on classical staining protocols. Fluorescent genetic barcoding gives the cell an inherited characteristic that distinguishes it from its counterpart. Once cell lines are developed, no further manipulation or staining is required, decreasing time, nonspecific background associated with staining protocols, and cost. The increasing number of discovered and/or engineered fluorescent proteins with unique absorbance/emission spectra, combined with the growing number of detection devices and lasers, increases multiplexing versatility, making fluorescent genetic barcoding a powerful tool for flow cytometry-based analysis. © 2013 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.

  17. Plasmon enhanced fluoro-immunoassay using egg yolk antibodies for ultra-sensitive detection of herbicide diuron.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Priyanka; Kukkar, Manil; Ganguli, Ashok K; Bhasin, Aman; Suri, C Raman

    2013-08-07

    Plasmon enhanced fluorescence immunoassay (PEFI) format has been reported in developing a sensitive heterogeneous fluoroimmunoassay for monitoring the phenylurea herbicide diuron. Computer-assisted molecular modeling was carried out to study the conformational and electrostatic effects of synthesized hapten for producing highly specific egg yolk antibody against a phenyl urea herbicide diuron. The generated antibodies were labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate at different molar ratios and used as tracer in the developed fluorescence based immunoassay. The sensitivity of the assay format was enhanced by using silver nanoparticles tagged with bovine serum albumin as a new blocking reagent in the developed PEFI format. Enhancer treatment on the developed immunoassay showed a significant improvement of fluorescence signal intensity with approximately 10 fold increase in assay sensitivity. The immunoassay has a detection limit of 0.01 ng mL(-1) with good signal precision (~2%) in the optimum working concentration range between 1 pg mL(-1) to 10 μg mL(-1) of diuron. These findings facilitate high throughput fluorescence-based processes that could be useful in biology, drug discovery and compound screening applications.

  18. The influence of visible light and inorganic pigments on fluorescence excitation emission spectra of egg-, casein- and collagen-based painting media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nevin, A.; Anglos, D.; Cather, S.; Burnstock, A.

    2008-07-01

    Spectrofluorimetric analysis of proteinaceous binding media is particularly promising because proteins employed in paintings are often fluorescent and media from different sources have significantly different fluorescence spectral profiles. Protein-based binding media derived from eggs, milk and animal tissue have been used for painting and for conservation, but their analysis using non-destructive techniques is complicated by interferences with pigments, their degradation and their low concentration. Changes in the fluorescence excitation emission spectra of films of binding media following artificial ageing to an equivalent of 50 and 100 years of museum lighting include the reduction of bands ascribed to tyrosine, tryptophan and Maillard reaction products and an increase in fluorescent photodegradation. Fluorescence of naturally aged paint is dependent on the nature of the pigment present and, with egg-based media, in comparison with un-pigmented films, emissions ascribed to amino acids are more pronounced.

  19. Fluorescence Spectra Studies on the Interaction between Lanthanides and Calmodulin

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    1999-01-01

    The conformation of Calmodulin(CaM) induced by lanthanides has been examined using fluorescence methods.With the addition of lanthanide (Ln3+), the intrinsic fluorescence intensity of CaM without calcium ions (Apo-CaM) first increases and then decreases.Ln3+ causes the decrease of intrinsic fluorescence intensity of calcium saturated CaM (Ca2+4-CaM) only at high concentrations.At low concentrations, Ln3+ results not only in the enhancement of fluorescence intensity of Apo-CaM, but also in a blue shift of the maximum emission wavelengh of dansyl labeled calmodulin(Apo-D-CaM).The molecular mechanism of the interaction between Ln3+ and CaM has been discussed in the light of the fluorescence spectra.

  20. Plasmonic-based instrument response function for time-resolved fluorescence: toward proper lifetime analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Szlazak, Radoslaw; Tutaj, Krzysztof; Grudzinski, Wojciech; Gruszecki, Wieslaw I.; Luchowski, Rafal, E-mail: rafal.luchowski@umcs.pl [Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Department of Biophysics, Institute of Physics (Poland)

    2013-06-15

    In this report, we investigated the so-called plasmonic platforms prepared to target ultra-short fluorescence and accurate instrumental response function in a time-domain spectroscopy and microscopy. The interaction of metallic nanoparticles with nearby fluorophores results in the increase of the dye fluorescence quantum yield, photostability and decrease of the lifetime parameter. The mentioned properties of platforms were applied to achieve a picosecond fluorescence lifetime (21 ps) of erythrosin B, used later as a better choice for deconvolution of fluorescence decays measured with 'color' sensitive photo-detectors. The ultra-short fluorescence standard based on combination of thin layers of silver film, silver colloidal nanoparticles (about 60 nm in diameter), and top layer of erythrosin B embedded in 0.2 % poly(vinyl) alcohol. The response functions were monitored on two photo-detectors; microchannel plate photomultiplier and single photon avalanche photodiode as a Rayleigh scattering and ultra-short fluorescence. We demonstrated that use of the plasmonic base fluorescence standard as an instrumental response function results in the absence of systematic error in lifetime measurements and analysis.

  1. Enhancing light reflective properties on ITO glass by plasmonic effect of silver nanoparticles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dezhong Zhang

    Full Text Available The preparation of well-defined silver (Ag nanoparticle arrays is reported in this paper. Ag nanoparticles are electrodeposited on Indium tin oxide (ITO coated glass substrates at 30 °C. The size, shape and periodicity of the Ag nanoparticle arrays are well-controlled. We study the effect of particle size and interparticle distance on reflection enhancement. The sample at the deposition potential of −0.2 V for an electrodeposition time of 3600 s exhibits an enhancement of 28% in weighted reflection in contrast with bare ITO glass. This study reports the high reflection of Ag nanoparticle arrays by electrodeposition method might be application to large-scale photovoltaic devices.

  2. Enhanced Silver Nanoparticle Chemiluminescence Method for the Determination of Gemifloxacin Mesylate using Sequential Injection Analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alarfaj, N.A.; Aly, F.A.; Tamimi, A.A.

    2013-01-01

    A sequential injection analysis (SIA) with chemiluminescence detection has been proposed for the determination of the antibiotic gemifloxacin mesylate (GFX). The developed method is based on the enhancement effect of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) on the chemiluminescence (CL) signal of luminol-potassium ferricyanide reaction in alkaline medium. The introduction of gemifloxacin in this system produced a significant decrease in the CL intensity in presence of (Ag NPs). The optimum conditions for CL emission were investigated. Linear relationship between the decrease in CL intensity and concentration was obtained in the range 0.01-1000 ng mL-1, (r = 0.9997) with detection limit of 2.0 pg mL-1 and quantification limit of 0.01 pg mL-1. The relative standard deviation was 1.3 %. The proposed method was employed for the determination of gemifloxacin in bulk drug, in its pharmaceutical dosage forms and biological fluids such as human serum and urine. The interference of some common additive compounds such as glucose, lactose, starch, talc and magnesium stearate was investigated, and no interference was found from these excipients. The obtained SIA results were statistically compared with those obtained from a reported method and did not show any significant difference at confidence level 95%. (author)

  3. Glass frits coated with silver nanoparticles for silicon solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Yingfen; Gan, Weiping; Zhou, Jian; Li, Biyuan

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Silver-coated glass frits for solar cells were prepared by electroless plating. • Gum Arabic was used as the activating agent of glass frits. • Silver-coated glass frits can improve the photovoltaic performances of solar cells. - Abstract: Glass frits coated with silver nanoparticles were prepared by electroless plating. Gum Arabic (GA) was used as the activating agent of glass frits without the assistance of stannous chloride or palladium chloride. The silver-coated glass frits prepared with different GA dosages were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The characterization results indicated that silver-coated glass frits had the structures of both glass and silver. Spherical silver nanoparticles were distributed on the glass frits evenly. The density and particle size of silver nanoparticles on the glass frits can be controlled by adjusting the GA dosage. The silver-coated glass frits were applied to silver pastes to act as both the densification promoter and silver crystallite formation aid in the silver electrodes. The prepared silver-coated glass frits can improve the photovoltaic performances of solar cells

  4. Glass frits coated with silver nanoparticles for silicon solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Yingfen, E-mail: lyf350857423@163.com; Gan, Weiping; Zhou, Jian; Li, Biyuan

    2015-06-30

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Silver-coated glass frits for solar cells were prepared by electroless plating. • Gum Arabic was used as the activating agent of glass frits. • Silver-coated glass frits can improve the photovoltaic performances of solar cells. - Abstract: Glass frits coated with silver nanoparticles were prepared by electroless plating. Gum Arabic (GA) was used as the activating agent of glass frits without the assistance of stannous chloride or palladium chloride. The silver-coated glass frits prepared with different GA dosages were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The characterization results indicated that silver-coated glass frits had the structures of both glass and silver. Spherical silver nanoparticles were distributed on the glass frits evenly. The density and particle size of silver nanoparticles on the glass frits can be controlled by adjusting the GA dosage. The silver-coated glass frits were applied to silver pastes to act as both the densification promoter and silver crystallite formation aid in the silver electrodes. The prepared silver-coated glass frits can improve the photovoltaic performances of solar cells.

  5. Fluorescence spectroscopy for medical and environmental diagnostics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johansson, Jonas.

    1993-09-01

    Fluorescence spectroscopy can be used for diagnostics in medical and environmental applications. The many aspects of fluorescence emission are utilized to enhance the accuracy of the diagnosis. A fluorescence detection system, based on nitrogen laser or dye laser excitation and optical multichannel detection, was constructed, and fluorescence spectra from human malignant tumours of various origins, were recorded. Tumour demarcation was observed using exogenous chromophores, as well as the endogenous tissue fluorescence. In particular, δ-amino levulinic acid was found to provide very good tumour demarcation. A multi-colour imaging system capable of simultaneous recording of four fluorescence images at selected wavelengths, was developed. Examples of processed images, based on the four sub-images, are shown for malignant tumours. In addition, data from photodynamic treatment of human malignant tumours are presented. Autofluorescence spectra from excised pieces of human atherosclerotic aorta and atherosclerotic coronary segment were found to be different from those of non-diseased vessels. Furthermore, fluorescence decay curves from atherosclerotic samples were found to differ from those of non-diseased samples. It is concluded that both spectral and temporal information should be utilized to enhance the demarcation. Methods for obtaining fluorescence data free from interference from blood, with applications to in vivo laser angioplasty of atherosclerosis, are discussed. The optical multichannel system and the multi-colour imaging system were integrated with a remote sensing system, originally used for environmental measurements, to obtain fluorescence spectra as well as fluorescence images of plants at a distance of up to 100 m. The fluorescence data from plants subject to environmental stress or senescent plants were found to differ from those obtained from healthy vegetation. 359 refs

  6. Enhancement of short-circuit current density in polymer bulk heterojunction solar cells comprising plasmonic silver nanowires

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, Yuzhao; Lin, Xiaofeng; Ou, Jiemei; Chen, Xudong, E-mail: cescxd@mail.sysu.edu.cn, E-mail: stszx@mail.sysu.edu.cn, E-mail: chenyj69@mail.sysu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory for Polymeric Composite and Functional Materials of Ministry of Education of China, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275 (China); Qing, Jian; Zhong, Zhenfeng; Zhou, Xiang, E-mail: cescxd@mail.sysu.edu.cn, E-mail: stszx@mail.sysu.edu.cn, E-mail: chenyj69@mail.sysu.edu.cn; Chen, Yujie, E-mail: cescxd@mail.sysu.edu.cn, E-mail: stszx@mail.sysu.edu.cn, E-mail: chenyj69@mail.sysu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Physics and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275 (China); Hu, Chenglong [Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Chemical Materials and Devices of Ministry of Education, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056 (China)

    2014-03-24

    We demonstrate that the influence of plasmonic effects based on silver nanowires (Ag NWs) on the characteristics of polymer solar cells (PSCs). The solution-processed Ag NWs are situated at the interface of anode buffer layer and active layer, which could enhance the performance especially the photocurrent of PSCs by scattering, localized surface plasmon resonance, and surface plasmon polaritons. Plasmonic effects are confirmed by the enhancement of extinction spectra, external quantum efficiency, and steady state photoluminescence. Consequently, the short-circuit current density (J{sub sc}) and power conversion efficiency enhance about 24% and 18%, respectively, under AM1.5 illumination when Ag NWs plasmonic nanostructure incorporated into PSCs.

  7. Synchronous fluorescence based biosensor for albumin determination by cooperative binding of fluorescence probe in a supra-biomolecular host-protein assembly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patra, Digambara

    2010-01-15

    A synchronous fluorescence probe based biosensor for estimation of albumin with high sensitivity and selectivity was developed. Unlike conventional fluorescence emission or excitation spectral measurements, synchronous fluorescence measurement offered exclusively a new synchronous fluorescence peak in the shorter wavelength range upon binding of chrysene with protein making it an easy identification tool for albumin determination. The cooperative binding of a fluorescence probe, chrysene, in a supramolecular host-protein assembly during various albumin assessments was investigated. The presence of supramolecular host molecules such as beta-cyclodextrin, curucurbit[6]uril or curucurbit[7]uril have little influence on sensitivity or limit of detection during albumin determination but reduced dramatically interference from various coexisting metal ion quenchers/enhancers. Using the present method the limit of detection for BSA and gamma-Globulin was found to be 0.005 microM which is more sensitive than reported values. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Fluorescence enhancing under UV-NIR simultaneous-excitation in ZnS:Cu,Mn phosphors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. J. Xie

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available The fluorescence properties of a long-lasting phosphor, ZnS:Cu,Mn was studied for the first time under simultaneously excitation of both UV and NIR light. Up to 20% fluorescence enhancement of the phosphor was observed. In the present simultaneously-excitation process, broad-band NIR light was absorbed and converted to visible photons via a single-photon upconversion path. We propose that a novel kind of spectral-conversion material with the unique ability to simultaneously convert both UV and NIR photons can be developed and is promising in the application of enhancing the EQE of solar cells.

  9. [Antimicrobial activity of stable silver nanoparticles of a certain size].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mukha, Iu P; Eremenko, A M; Smirnova, N P; Mikhienkova, A I; Korchak, G I; Gorchev, V F; Chunikhin, A Iu

    2013-01-01

    Conditions for obtaining stable silver nanoparticles smaller than 10 nm were developed using a binary stabilizer polyvinylpyrrolidone/sodium dodecylsulphate in optimal ratio. Optical spectra, morphology and dependence of size of the nanoparticles on the amount of reducing agent were studied. Colloidal solutions of nanosilver showed a high bactericidal activity against strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and fungicidal activity against Candida albicans. The mechanism of action of nanosized silver on microbial cell was examined by laser scanning confocal microscope using fluorescent label. First step of antimicrobial effect on microorganisms was membrane damage and penetration of silver nanoparticles into the cell. Prolonged stability of nanoparticles and their antimicrobial activity over the past two years were showed.

  10. Laser Raman Spectroscopy with Different Excitation Sources and Extension to Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Md. Wahadoszamen

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available A dispersive Raman spectrometer was used with three different excitation sources (Argon-ion, He-Ne, and Diode lasers operating at 514.5 nm, 633 nm, and 782 nm, resp.. The system was employed to a variety of Raman active compounds. Many of the compounds exhibit very strong fluorescence while being excited with a laser emitting at UV-VIS region, hereby imposing severe limitation to the detection efficiency of the particular Raman system. The Raman system with variable excitation laser sources provided us with a desired flexibility toward the suppression of unwanted fluorescence signal. With this Raman system, we could detect and specify the different vibrational modes of various hazardous organic compounds and some typical dyes (both fluorescent and nonfluorescent. We then compared those results with the ones reported in literature and found the deviation within the range of ±2 cm−1, which indicates reasonable accuracy and usability of the Raman system. Then, the surface enhancement technique of Raman spectrum was employed to the present system. To this end, we used chemically prepared colloidal suspension of silver nanoparticles as substrate and Rhodamine 6G as probe. We could observe significant enhancement of Raman signal from Rhodamine 6G using the colloidal solution of silver nanoparticles the average magnitude of which is estimated to be 103.

  11. Enhanced cytocompatibility of silver-containing biointerface by constructing nitrogen functionalities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Wei, E-mail: weizhang@mail.ipc.ac.cn [Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Liu, Jun [Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Wang, Huaiyu [Department of Physics & Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong (China); Xu, Ying; Wang, Pingli [Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Ji, Junhui, E-mail: jhji@mail.ipc.ac.cn [Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Chu, Paul K. [Department of Physics & Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong (China)

    2015-09-15

    Graphical abstract: Constructing nitrogen functionalities is promising method to enhance cytocompatibility of the biointerface by simultaneous Ag and N{sub 2} plasma modification. - Highlights: • N{sub 2} plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) treatment generates plenty of nitrogen functionalities on polymer substrate. • N{sub 2} PIII treatment increases surface roughness and hydrophilicity and improves its capability to adsorb protein. • Simultaneous Ag and N{sub 2} plasma modification constructs nitrogen functionalities to enhance cytocompatibility of the biointerface. - Abstract: Silver (Ag) has recently been introduced into polymeric biomedical implants by plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) to enhance the antibacterial capability. However, Ag ions and nanoparticles can increase the cytotoxicity and inhibit cellular proliferation and the relationship is time- and dose-dependent. In this study, Ag and N{sub 2} PIII is conducted in concert to produce nitrogen functional groups as well as Ag-containing biointerface. In addition to the creation of nitrogen functionalities, the surface roughness and hydrophilicity are improved in favor of protein adsorption. Compared to the biointerface created by Ag PIII only, the nitrogen functionalities generated by N{sub 2} co-PIII do not affect DNA synthesis and the total protein level but evidently enhance cellular adhesion, viability, and proliferation at the biointerface. The modified surface is observed to upregulate the osteogenesis-related marker expression of bone cells in contact. Our findings suggest that dual Ag and N{sub 2} PIII is a desirable technique to enhance both the cytocompatibility and antibacterial capability of medical polymers.

  12. A simple method of growing silver chloride nanocubes on silver nanowires

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hosseinzadeh Khaligh, Hadi; Goldthorpe, Irene A.

    2015-09-01

    The growth of AgCl nanocubes directly on the sidewalls of Ag nanowires is demonstrated. The nanocubes can be simply obtained through extended low temperature annealing of polyol-synthesized silver nanowires in a vacuum. The length of time and temperature of the anneal and the diameter of the nanowire affect the size and density of the nanocubes obtained. It is hypothesized that the AgCl material is supplied from reactants leftover from the silver nanowire synthesis. This novel hybrid nanostructure may have applications in areas such as photovoltaics, surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy, and photocatalysis.

  13. Fluorescence Intrinsic Characterization of Excitation-Emission Matrix Using Multi-Dimensional Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tzu-Chien Hsiao

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available Excitation-emission matrix (EEM fluorescence spectroscopy is a noninvasive method for tissue diagnosis and has become important in clinical use. However, the intrinsic characterization of EEM fluorescence remains unclear. Photobleaching and the complexity of the chemical compounds make it difficult to distinguish individual compounds due to overlapping features. Conventional studies use principal component analysis (PCA for EEM fluorescence analysis, and the relationship between the EEM features extracted by PCA and diseases has been examined. The spectral features of different tissue constituents are not fully separable or clearly defined. Recently, a non-stationary method called multi-dimensional ensemble empirical mode decomposition (MEEMD was introduced; this method can extract the intrinsic oscillations on multiple spatial scales without loss of information. The aim of this study was to propose a fluorescence spectroscopy system for EEM measurements and to describe a method for extracting the intrinsic characteristics of EEM by MEEMD. The results indicate that, although PCA provides the principal factor for the spectral features associated with chemical compounds, MEEMD can provide additional intrinsic features with more reliable mapping of the chemical compounds. MEEMD has the potential to extract intrinsic fluorescence features and improve the detection of biochemical changes.

  14. Biomolecule-to-fluorescent-color encoder: modulation of fluorescence emission via DNA structural changes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nishimura, Takahiro; Ogura, Yusuke; Yamada, Kenji; Ohno, Yuko; Tanida, Jun

    2014-01-01

    A biomolecule-to-fluorescent-color (B/F) encoder for optical readout of biomolecular information is proposed. In the B/F encoder, a set of fluorescence wavelengths and their intensity levels are used for coding of a biomolecular signal. A hybridization chain reaction of hairpin DNAs labeled with fluorescent reporters was performed to generate the fluorescence color codes. The fluorescence is modulated via fluorescence resonance energy transfer, which is controlled by DNA structural changes. The results demonstrate that fluorescent color codes can be configured based on two wavelengths and five intensities using the B/F encoder, and the assigned codes can be retrieved via fluorescence measurements. PMID:25071950

  15. State-of-the art comparability of corrected emission spectra. 2. Field laboratory assessment of calibration performance using spectral fluorescence standards.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Resch-Genger, Ute; Bremser, Wolfram; Pfeifer, Dietmar; Spieles, Monika; Hoffmann, Angelika; DeRose, Paul C; Zwinkels, Joanne C; Gauthier, François; Ebert, Bernd; Taubert, R Dieter; Voigt, Jan; Hollandt, Jörg; Macdonald, Rainer

    2012-05-01

    In the second part of this two-part series on the state-of-the-art comparability of corrected emission spectra, we have extended this assessment to the broader community of fluorescence spectroscopists by involving 12 field laboratories that were randomly selected on the basis of their fluorescence measuring equipment. These laboratories performed a reference material (RM)-based fluorometer calibration with commercially available spectral fluorescence standards following a standard operating procedure that involved routine measurement conditions and the data evaluation software LINKCORR developed and provided by the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM). This instrument-specific emission correction curve was subsequently used for the determination of the corrected emission spectra of three test dyes, X, QS, and Y, revealing an average accuracy of 6.8% for the corrected emission spectra. This compares well with the relative standard uncertainties of 4.2% for physical standard-based spectral corrections demonstrated in the first part of this study (previous paper in this issue) involving an international group of four expert laboratories. The excellent comparability of the measurements of the field laboratories also demonstrates the effectiveness of RM-based correction procedures.

  16. Characterisation of the nucleolar organising regions during the cell cycle in two varieties of Petunia hybrida as visualised by fluorescence in situ hybridisation and silver staining.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montijn, M B; ten Hoopen, R; Fransz, P F; Oud, J L; Nanninga, N

    1998-05-01

    The cell cycle-dependent spatial position, morphology and activity of the four nucleolar organising regions (NORs) of the Petunia hybrida cultivar Mitchell and the inbred line V26 have been analysed. Application of the silver staining technique and fluorescence in situ hybridisation on fixed root-tip material revealed that these interspecific hybrids possess four NORs of which only those of chromosome 2 are active during interphase, which implies that the NOR activity is not of parental origin. However, at the end of mitosis, activity of all NOR regions could be detected, suggesting that the high demand for ribosomes at this stage of the cell cycle requires temporal activity of all NORs. Using actin DNA probes as markers in fluorescence in situ hybridisation experiments enabled the identification of the individual petunia chromosomes.

  17. X-ray fluorescence analysis and optical emission spectrometry of an roman mirror from Tomis, Romania

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Belc, M.; Bogoi, M.; Ionescu, D.; Guita, D.; Caiteanu, S.; Caiteanu, D.

    2000-01-01

    The miscellaneous population of Roman Empire, their diverse cultural tradition, their ability to assimilate the roman civilization spirits, had determined a permanent reassessment superimposed upon the roman contribution. Analysis was undertaken using optical emission spectrometry and non-destructive X-ray fluorescence. X-ray fluorescence analysis is a well-established method and is often used in archaeometry and other work dealing with valuable objects pertaining to the history of art and civilization. Roman mirror analysed has been found not to be made of speculum (a high tin bronze). (authors)

  18. Fabrication of silver tips for scanning tunneling microscope induced luminescence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, C; Gao, B; Chen, L G; Meng, Q S; Yang, H; Zhang, R; Tao, X; Gao, H Y; Liao, Y; Dong, Z C

    2011-08-01

    We describe a reliable fabrication procedure of silver tips for scanning tunneling microscope (STM) induced luminescence experiments. The tip was first etched electrochemically to yield a sharp cone shape using selected electrolyte solutions and then sputter cleaned in ultrahigh vacuum to remove surface oxidation. The tip status, in particular the tip induced plasmon mode and its emission intensity, can be further tuned through field emission and voltage pulse. The quality of silver tips thus fabricated not only offers atomically resolved STM imaging, but more importantly, also allows us to perform challenging "color" photon mapping with emission spectra taken at each pixel simultaneously during the STM scan under relatively small tunnel currents and relatively short exposure time.

  19. Synthesis and bioimaging of biodegradable red fluorescent organic nanoparticles with aggregation-induced emission characteristics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Dazhuang; Zou, Hui; Liu, Meiying; Tian, Jianwen; Huang, Hongye; Wan, Qing; Dai, Yanfeng; Wen, Yuanqing; Zhang, Xiaoyong; Wei, Yen

    2017-12-15

    Fluorescent organic nanoparticles (FONs) with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) features have recently emerged as promising fluorescent probes for biomedical applications owing to their excellent optical properties, designability and biocompatibility. Significant progress has been made recently for synthesis and biomedical applications of these AIE-active FONs. However, only very limited reports have demonstrated the fabrication of biodegradable AIE-active FONs with red fluorescence emission. In this study, a novel strategy has been developed for the preparation of biodegradable AIE-active polyurethanes (PUs) through a two-step polymerization, in which the diisocyanate-terminated polyethylene glycol (NCO-PEG-NCO) was synthesized and subsequently conjugated with diamine-containing AIE dye (NH 2 -Phe-NH 2 ). The successful synthesis of AIE-active Phe-PEG 2000 PUs is evidenced by a series of characterization techniques. Because of the formation of AIE-active amphiphilic PUs, the final copolymers can self-assemble into spherical nanoparticles, which exhibit strong luminescence and high water dispersion. The biological evaluation results suggest that the AIE-active Phe-PEG 2000 FONs possess low toxicity and desirable cell permeability. Therefore, we anticipate that these AIE-active FONs with biodegradable potential will trigger much research enthusiasm and effort toward the creation of new AIE-active materials with improved properties for various biomedical applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Magnetic and optical properties of Ag@SiO{sub 2}-FITC-Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} hybrid nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sui, Ning [Université de Lyon, Institut des Nanotechnologies de Lyon–INL, UMR CNRS 5270, Site Ecole Centrale de Lyon, 36 Avenue Guy de Collongue, F-69134 Ecully Cedex (France); College of Material Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042 (China); Monnier, Virginie, E-mail: virginie.monnier@ec-lyon.fr [Université de Lyon, Institut des Nanotechnologies de Lyon–INL, UMR CNRS 5270, Site Ecole Centrale de Lyon, 36 Avenue Guy de Collongue, F-69134 Ecully Cedex (France); Salvia, Marie-Virginie; Chevolot, Yann; Souteyrand, Eliane [Université de Lyon, Institut des Nanotechnologies de Lyon–INL, UMR CNRS 5270, Site Ecole Centrale de Lyon, 36 Avenue Guy de Collongue, F-69134 Ecully Cedex (France)

    2014-03-15

    Highlights: • New magnetic/fluorescent nanoparticles were synthesized. • The silver core led to a maximum 4-fold enhanced fluorescence of fluorophore. • Maximum enhancement factor was obtained when metal-fluorophore distance is 5 nm. • Magnetism and fluorescence appeared simultaneously for nanoparticles in solution. -- Abstract: Nanoparticles composed of a silver core coated with a silica shell (Ag@SiO{sub 2}) were prepared. A dye, fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC), was further encapsulated during the growth of a second silica shell onto Ag@SiO{sub 2} nanoparticles. The proximity of silver nanoparticles led to a 4-fold maximal enhancement in the fluorescence of FITC when the first silica shell thickness was set at 5 nm. After amino-functionalization of Ag@SiO{sub 2}-FITC nanoparticles, iron oxide nanoparticles were bonded to their surface. The magnetic and metal-enhanced fluorescence properties appeared simultaneously when Ag@SiO{sub 2}-FITC-Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} hybrid nanoparticles were dispersed in a solution.