Highly effective surface-enhanced fluorescence substrates with roughened 3D flowerlike silver nanostructures fabricated in liquid crystalline phase

Abstract Highly effective surface-enhanced fluorescence substrates with roughened 3D flowerlike silver nanostructures were fabricated by electrodeposition in liquid crystalline template which is simple and controllable. Due to the localized surface plasmon resonance of silver nanostructures, the substrates were used as surface enhanced fluorescence substrates. The morphology and optical properties of the substrates were studied. The fluorescence experiments of the Rhodamine 6G on the substrates for different growth times were carried out and the best enhancement factor of 181 was achieved. Eight substrates with the same growth conditions were used to study the reproducibility of the substrate which shows that the fluctuations are within 9%. This substrate was used in organic distributed feedback lasers and the amplified spontaneous emission of poly(2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethyl-hexyloxy)-p-phenylenevinylene) was enhanced dramatically which means the reduced threshold and improved slope efficiency. Such easily fabricated flower-like silver nanostructure substrates with strong surface enhanced fluorescence effect and good reproducibility are good candidate for potential applications in optical imaging, biotechnology and material detections.