Selective Ultrasensitive Optical Fiber Nanosensors Based on Plasmon Resonance Energy Transfer

Abstract

The facet of optical fibers coated with nanostructures enable the development of ultraminiature and sensitive (bio)chemical sensors. The reported sensors until now lack of specificity and the fabrication methods offer poor reproducibility. Here, we demonstrate that by transforming the facet of conventional multimode optical fibers onto plasmon resonance energy transfer (PRET) antenna surfaces the specificity issues may be overcome. To do so, a low cost chemical approach was developed to immobilize gold nanoparticles on the optical fiber facet in a reproducible and controlled manner. Our nanosensors are highly selective as PRET is a nanospectroscopic effect that only occurs when the resonant wavelength of the nanoparticles matches that of the target parameter. As an example, we demonstrate the selective detection of picomolar concentrations of copper ions in water. Our sensor is 1,000 times more sensitive than state of the art technologies. An additional advantage of our nanosensors is their simple interrogation; it comprises of a lowpower light emitting diode, a multimode optical fiber coupler, and a miniature spectrometer. We believe that the PRET-based fiber optic platform reported here may pave the way of the development of a new generation of ultra-miniature, portable, and hypersensitive and selective (bio)chemical sensors.

Dark-Field Microscopy: Recent Advances in Accurate Analysis and Emerging Applications

“…A low-power light-emitting diode was used and the spectrometer was miniaturized, which is a significant advantage of this analysis system. This optical fibers based method exhibited a 1000-fold greater sensitivity than the counterpart based on microscopy and chemistry . Some energy transfer technologies have been confirmed to be distance-dependent, as is PRET.…”

“…Reprinted from Barroso, J.; Ortega-Gomez, A.; Calatayud-Sanchez, A.; Zubia, J.; Benito-Lopez, F.; Villatoro, J.; Basabe-Desmonts, L. ACS Sens. 2020 , 5 , 2018–2024 (ref ). Copyright 2020 American Chemical Society.…”

“…This optical fibers based method exhibited a 1000-fold greater sensitivity than the counterpart based on microscopy and chemistry. 53 Some energy transfer technologies have been confirmed to be distance-dependent, as is PRET. Recently, the distance dependence of PRET was systematically studied by using DNA spacers.…”

A Microfiber Sensor for the Trace Copper Ions Detection Based on Ternary Sensitive film

“…After the unremitting efforts of researchers, the main methods for copper ion detection have been developed including colorimetric method, [ 9 ] electrochemical method, [ 10 ] fluorescence spectrometry, [ 11 ] photothermal effect method, [ 12 ] anodic dissolution voltammetry, [ 13 ] and surface plasmon resonance method. [ 14 ] However, colorimetric and photothermal methods require a lot of chemical reagents such as Amino‐Functionalized Au@G NPs and Chloroauric acid, [ 9,12 ] which can easily cause environmental pollution. Both the anodic dissolution voltammetry and surface plasmon resonance methods are expensive because they require the consumption of a certain number of precious metals such as gold.…”

“…Both the anodic dissolution voltammetry and surface plasmon resonance methods are expensive because they require the consumption of a certain number of precious metals such as gold. [ 13,14 ] Many other ways of fluorescence spectroscopy, photothermal effect, and anodic dissolution voltammetry are complex, longer consuming time, and inconvenient inspection. [ 11–13 ]…”