Fluorescence enhancements on silver colloid coated surfaces
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Updated: Aug 20, 2026

Rapid Nanoprobe Signal Enhancement by In Situ Gold Nanoparticle Synthesis
Published on: March 7, 2018
Joanna Lukomska1, Joanna Malicka, Ignacy Gryczynski
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center for Fluorescence Spectroscopy, University of Maryland at Baltimore, 725 West Lombard Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA.
Abstract:
We observed a strong, more than 16-fold, enhancement of Texas Red-labeled BSA fluorescence emission when deposited on silver colloid coated surfaces (SCCS). The same labeled protein deposited on silver island films (SIFs) showed an approximate 8-fold fluorescence enhancement. The lifetimes of Texas Red-BSA fluorescence are significantly shorter on silvered surfaces than on uncoated quartz substrate indicating a strong change in radiative decay rate of the dyes. We also observed a 36-fold increased brightness of overlabeled fluorescein-HSA deposited on silver colloid coated surface. Stronger enhancement observed for overlabeled Fl-HSA protein indicates that presence of silver particles partially decreased self-quenching. Our results indicate that surfaces coated with silver colloids are valuable substrates for metal-enhanced fluorescence.
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