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Atomically thin boron nitride as an ideal spacer for metal-enhanced fluorescence

Version 2 2024-06-06, 09:03
Version 1 2019-10-09, 08:24
journal contribution
posted on 2024-06-06, 09:03 authored by W Gan, C Tserkezis, Q Cai, A Falin, Srikanth MatetiSrikanth Mateti, M Nguyen, I Aharonovich, K Watanabe, T Taniguchi, F Huang, L Song, Lingxue KongLingxue Kong, Ying (Ian) ChenYing (Ian) Chen, LH Li
Metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF) considerably enhances the luminescence for various applications, but its performance largely depends on the dielectric spacer between the fluorophore and plasmonic system. It is still challenging to produce a defect-free spacer having an optimized thickness with a sub-nanometer accuracy that enables reusability without affecting the enhancement. In this study, we demonstrate the use of atomically thin hexagonal boron nitride (BN) as an ideal MEF spacer owing to its multifold advantages over the traditional dielectric thin films. With rhodamine 6G as a representative fluorophore, it largely improves the enhancement factor (up to âˆ95 ± 5), sensitivity (10-8 M), reproducibility, and reusability (âˆ90% of the plasmonic activity is retained after 30 cycles of heating at 350 °C in air) of MEF. This can be attributed to its two-dimensional structure, thickness control at the atomic level, defect-free quality, high affinities to aromatic fluorophores, good thermal stability, and excellent impermeability. The atomically thin BN spacers could increase the use of MEF in different fields and industries.

History

Journal

ACS Nano

Volume

13

Pagination

12184-12191

Location

United States

ISSN

1936-0851

eISSN

1936-086X

Language

English

Publication classification

C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Issue

10

Publisher

AMER CHEMICAL SOC