We present an analytical method to model the influence of gold nanoparticle (Au NP) concentration on the energy transfer between Cy3 orange beads (OBs) and Au NPs. The OBs and Au NPs act as donor (D) and acceptor (A), respectively. In the D A system, the energy transfer efficiency strongly depends on the spectral overlap and separation R between donor and acceptor. Theoretical calculations for a range of R values between 10 and 100 Å produce three parameters that each characterize one of three different resonant energy transfer mechanisms: fluorescence resonant energy transfer, surface resonant energy transfer and Coulomb energy transfer. The values of these parameters provide estimates of the degree of quenching or enhancement of the fluorescence of D A complexes as a function of concentration. A comparison between experimental and theoretical data confirms the validity of the model.
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