title: Temperature controlled fluorescence on Au@Ag@PNIPAM-PTEBS microgels: effect of the metal core size on the MEF extension.
abstract: In this work, we present a novel method to produce thermoresponsive, monodisperse microgels which display temperature-dependent photoluminescence. The system is based on bimetallic cores of Au@Ag encapsulated within thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) microgels and coated with a photoluminescent polymer (poly[2-(3-thienyl)ethoxy-4-butylsulfonate] (PTEBS) using the Layer-by-Layer technique. The electromagnetic radiation used to excite the PTEBS induces a local electromagnetic field on the surface of the bimetallic cores that enhances the excitation and emission rates of the PTEBS, yielding a metal enhanced fluorescence (MEF). This effect was studied as a function of the bimetallic core size and the separation distance between the PTEBS and the bimetallic cores. Our results permit evaluation of the effect that the metallic core size of colloidal particles exerts on the MEF for the first time, and prove the relevance of the metallic cores to extend the effect far away from the metallic surface.
authors.affiliation: Department of Organic Chemistry, Science Faculty, Málaga University , Málaga 29071, Spain.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Contreras-Caceres
authors.forename: Paulino
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Alonso-Cristobal
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mendez-Gonzalez
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Laurenti
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maldonado-Valdivia
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Garcia-Blanco
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: López Cabarcos
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernandez-Barbero
authors.forename: José Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lopez-Romero
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rubio-Retama