Core–shell nanoparticle of silver coated with light-emitting rubrene: Surface plasmon enhanced photoluminescence

• Published in: Synthetic metals 2011-10, Vol.161 (19-20), p.2103-2106
• Main Authors: Han, Yoon Deok, Lee, Jin Woo, Park, Dong Hyuk, Yang, Seung Ho, Kim, Bo Kyung, Kim, Jeongyong, Joo, Jinsoo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Collective excitations (including excitons, polarons, plasmons and other charge-density excitations); Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Core–shell; Electronic structure and electrical properties of surfaces, interfaces, thin films and low-dimensional structures; Exact sciences and technology; Nanocrystals and nanoparticles; Nanoparticle; Nanostructure; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Optical properties of low-dimensional, mesoscopic, and nanoscale materials and structures; Photoluminescence; Physics; Plasmons; Reduction; Rubrene; Silver; Sodium; Surface and interface electron states; Surface plasmon; Ultraviolet
• ISSN: 0379-6779; 1879-3290
• DOI: 10.1016/j.synthmet.2011.08.001

► Fabrication of Ag–rubrene core–shell nanoparticles (NPs) through hydrothermal process. ► Enhancement of PL efficiency of the core–shell single NP by about 300 times. ► The increase of the PL can be explained by energy transfer effect in surface plasmon resonance coupling. Silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) with a diameter of 50–100nm were fabricated by using a reduction process of silver nitrate with sodium citrate. Using the Ag NPs, hybrid core (Ag)–shell (organic light-emitting rubrene) NPs were prepared through a hydrothermal process. The formation of hybrid core–shell NP of Ag-rubrene was confirmed through transmission electron microscope images. From ultraviolet and visible absorption spectra, the Ag and rubrene characteristic peaks were simultaneously observed for the core–shell NPs. Using a high-resolution laser confocal microscope (LCM), the photoluminescence (PL) intensity of the Ag–rubrene core–shell single NP was about 300 times higher than that of the rubrene single NP. This remarkable enhancement of PL efficiency in the core–shell single NP is due to the energy transfer effect in the surface plasmon resonance coupling between Ag and rubrene materials.