Metal enhanced fluorescence on silver nano-triangles

Fluorescence has many desirable applications in analytical tools in the field of biochemistry and molecular biology. In most of the applications the fluorescence is observed in far field and the detection of fluorescence from biological samples demand low concentration and sensitive techniques that can enhance fluorescence signal. In order to realize this, metal enhanced fluorescence is employed where an increase in fluorescence is observed when the fluorophore is in close proximity to a metallic surface. The preparation of suitable and reproducible metal nano-structure surfaces at low cost has been difficult, hence limiting its utilities. To overcome these limitations, we report the fabrication of silver nano-triangles using nano-sphere lithography which uses a 2D mono-layered nano-sphere array as the mask and using the same for enhancing fluorescence from Fluorescein isothiocyanate. The proposed method is inexpensive, simple to implement and a high throughput nano fabrication technique.