Understanding cell biology greatly benefits from the development of advanced diagnostic probes. Here we introduce a 22-nm spaser (plasmonic nanolaser) with the ability to serve as a super-bright, water-soluble, biocompatible probe capable of generating stimulated emission directly inside living cells and animal tissues. We have demonstrated a lasing regime associated with the formation of a dynamic vapour nanobubble around the spaser that leads to giant spasing with emission intensity and spectral width >100 times brighter and 30-fold narrower, respectively, than for quantum dots. The absorption losses in the spaser enhance its multifunctionality, allowing for nanobubble-amplified photothermal and photoacoustic imaging and therapy. Furthermore, the silica spaser surface has been covalently functionalized with folic acid for molecular targeting of cancer cells. All these properties make a nanobubble spaser a promising multimodal, super-contrast, ultrafast cellular probe with a single-pulse nanosecond excitation for a variety of in vitro and in vivo biomedical applications.

A formation of pseudoisocyanine (PIC) dye Jaggregates in the polyelectrolyte film by the layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly method has been studied. It has been shown that this process leads to significant J-band widening and fluorescence quenching as a result of increasing static disorder. To enhance the J-aggregate fluorescence properties, the effect of J-aggregate interaction with plasmon resonances of gold nanoparticles has been used. It is found that the maximal 8-fold fluorescence enhancement for PIC J-aggregates in the LbL films could be achieved at 16 nm distance between Au nanoparticles (NPs) and the J-aggregates. Plasmon influence on the J-aggregate fluorescence has been analyzed using a two-level system in the local plasmon field approximation. The model gives a good correlation with the experimental results and could be used for further studying the exciton−plasmon interaction in J-aggregates. ■ INTRODUCTIONWell-ordered molecular nanoclusters called J-aggregates attract great attention due to their unique optical properties, distinctly different from those of the individual molecules constituting the aggregate: narrow absorption band, high oscillator strength, giant third-order susceptibility, resonant fluorescence, etc. 1−4 Such optical properties of J-aggregates are explained by the strong interactions between the molecules within the aggregates. 1−4 The resulting delocalization of electronic excitations over certain molecules on the chain leads to the formation of collective eigenstates for all molecules, the exciton state (Frenkel exciton formation). 1−5 Depending on a type of molecular packing within the aggregate chain, one can observe a blue-shifted exciton band (H-band, the "face-to-face" arrangement), a red-shifted band (J-band, the "face-to-tail" arrangement), or both J-and H-bands due to the "herringbone"-type molecular packing. 1−4 The distinct feature of J-aggregates is a close correlation between J-aggregate excitonic properties and structure that opens up possibilities for the manipulation of J-aggregate optical characteristics by changing the condition of nanocluster formation. 1−4 Jaggregates have proved themselves as a perspective material for a number of applications such as photography, nonlinear optical devices, optical memory, and some others. 1−8 Low photostability in solutions resulting in photodegradation and photoreorganization processes is a considerable disadvantage of J-aggregates. 9,10 One of the ways to overcome this problem is using solid samples of J-aggregates especially in the form of polymer films suitable for many applications. 11−13 There are two main ways to form J-aggregates in polymer films: spin-coating 11−16 and layer-by-layer assembly (LbL). 17−19 Unfortunately, both ways cause a significant decrease in Jaggregate fluorescence quantum yield. 15,16,19 So, special efforts should be made to increase the fluorescence quantum yield of Jaggregates formed in polymer films.A very attractive way to improve the optical properties of Jaggregates is using the effect of ...

In the present work controlled plasmon enhanced fluorescence of thiacyanine dye J-aggregates in water solution has been demonstrated. To control a distance between J-aggregates and silver nanoparticles the latter have been covered by a polymer shell of variable thickness using the layer-bylayer assembly method. The best 2-fold fluorescence enhancement has been observed for the 16 nm thick polymer shell. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images have revealed an insufficient contact between Jaggregates and NPs that could be the main reason for the small fluorescence enhancement. Experimental results have been described using a model of twolevel system affected by the local plasmon resonances field. According to the model more than 20-fold enhancement of J-aggregates fluorescence could be expected under optimal conditions. Besides, strong fluorescence enhancement dependence on an exciton coherence length has been predicted. According to it, significant fluorescence response should be observed for metal nanoparticles interacting J-aggregates with large exciton coherence length such as pseudoisocyanine J-aggregates and some others. ■ INTRODUCTIONIn recent decades, the field of nanoplasmonics dealing with localized surface plasmon (LSP) resonances in noble metal nanoparticles has attracted a considerable interest. 1−3 Strong enhancement of electromagnetic field near metal nanoparticles in combination with tunable large extinction in the visible and near-infrared region results in very attractive possibilities for manipulation by optical species properties such as the surfaceenhanced Raman scattering (SERS) 4,5 and plasmon-enhanced fluorescence (PEF). 2,3,6,7 The latter appears to be strongly dependent on a distance between fluorescent species and metal surface because both radiative and nonradiative decay rates are influenced by LSP. 1−3 As the nonradiative decay rate is usually caused by resonance energy transfer or electron transfer from fluorescent species to metal nanoparticles, it dominates on short distances and leads to strong fluorescence quenching. The distance increase can lead to more than 10-fold fluorescence enhancement due to the radiative decay rates enhancement. 1−3The exciton−plasmon interaction in composites based on excitonic materials such as quantum dots, 8,9 conjugated polymers 10 or molecular aggregates 11−19 could provide a much more interesting case study as compared to the plasmonic interaction with a localized excitation. For example, fluorescent molecular aggregates, the so-called J-aggregates, exhibit unique spectral properties such as narrow spectral bands, high extinction coefficients, and excellent nonlinear properties. 20−22 The PEF phenomenon could be very useful in order to improve further the spectral characteristics of Jaggregates and to design novel optical materials and devices. Jaggregate formation on metal nanoparticles leads to new hybrid electronic states appearing as a result of exciton−plasmon coupling. 13−18 However, such composites are not fluorescent due to nonradiat...

Experimental results for the nonlinear optical properties of thin films of molecular J-aggregates of substituted pseudoisocyanine (PIC) are reported. These molecular aggregates were found to possess a giant third-order optical nonlinearity (jc 3 j % 10 À5 esu). Thin films of J-aggregates of PIC iodide with several different N-alkyl substituents were obtained to study the effect of disorder on the nonlinear optical properties. The spectral features of the nonlinear optical susceptibility are analyzed within a model that includes exciton±exciton interactions.

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