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Updated: Feb 19, 2026

Hyperspectral Imaging as a Tool to Study Optical Anisotropy in Lanthanide-Based Molecular Single Crystals
Published on: April 14, 2020
Metal-enhanced Förster resonance energy transfer (ME-FRET) in anthracene/tetracene-doped crystal systems
L Karnam1, L Brambilla, M Del Zoppo
1Center for Nano Science and Technology@Polimi, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Pascoli 70/3, 20133 Milano, Italy.
Abstract:
Anthracene tetracene-doped crystals (TA) dispersed in a thin polymer film matrix have been reported as efficient down converting systems based on Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) which occurs efficiently from donor (anthracene) to acceptor (tetracene) molecules. In this work, we demonstrate that the efficiency of this system can be further improved by a metal-enhanced FRET, which is obtained by incorporating metal nanoparticles into the polymer matrix. We report on the preparation and optical responses of polymeric transparent thin films where dodecanethiol-capped silver or gold nanoparticles are dispersed with TA in a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) matrix. A maximum of 11-fold and 6.5-fold enhancement was achieved with silver and gold nanoparticles, respectively. Efficiency is discussed in terms of film morphology and plasmon resonance induced effects.
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