Exploring copper nanostructures as highly uniform and reproducible substrates for plasmon-enhanced fluorescenceElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c4an00889h

• Main Authors: Volpati, D, Spada, E. R, Cid, C. C. Plá, Sartorelli, M. L, Aroca, R. F, Constantino, C. J. L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 15.12.2014
• ISSN: 0003-2654; 1364-5528
• DOI: 10.1039/c4an00889h

The unique properties of metallic nanostructures of coinage metals that can sustain localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPR) put them at the centre of plasmon-enhanced phenomena. The theory of plasmonic phenomena based on LSPR is well-established. However, the fabrication of plasmonic substrates, reproducibly, is still challenging for applications in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and surface-enhanced fluorescence (SEF). In this work we describe well-ordered copper nanostructures (CuNSs), produced by electrodeposition and nanosphere lithography, as active substrates for SEF. After a detailed spectroscopic and microscopic characterization, CuNSs are successfully applied as SEF-active substrates using a well-known perylene derivative as a target molecule. The signal reproducibility from CuNS substrates was established by comparing the results against those obtained from a simply roughened Cu substrate. Under optimal conditions, signal variability is around 4%. Towards reproducible and feasible large-area active substrates for the surface-enhanced phenomena, we report electrodeposited antidot copper nanostructures and employed them as active substrates for surface-enhanced fluorescence (SEF), which exhibit a relative great enhancement factor and reproducible signals.