Experimental decoupling of the effects of plasmon resonance energy transfer (PRET) and metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF) within the same nanometal–fluorophore pair is fascinating but challenging. In this study, we presented a possible solution for this by coating a plasmonic Au nanoparticle (AuNP) with temperature-sensitive poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAM) shells and R6G hybrids, termed the Au@p-R nano platform, which could reversibly adjust the separation between dyes and the AuNP surface, enabling an ON/OFF switch between MEF and PRET. In our optimization process, we discovered that 20-kDa of pNIPAM causes an MEF effect owing to a proper shrinking distance of 6.86 ± 0.85 nm. This dual-model nano platform exhibits great potential for tracking temperature-dependent transitions.

You have access to this article

Please wait while we load your content... Something went wrong. Try again?