Surface plasmon enhanced photoluminescence of conjugated polymers

Abstract

To produce surface plasmons, silver nanostructures were fabricated using a thermal evaporation method and the surface plasmon wavelength was tuned via an annealing. These nanostructures were located between the indium tin oxide (ITO) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxy thiophene)/poly(styrenesulfonate) for the coupling of the surface plasmon resonance with organic fluorophores. To prevent the quenching of emission, spacer was placed between the light emitting polymers and the ITO substrate. As a result, the authors were able to observe an increase in photoluminescence of conjugated polymers using the silver nanostructures.

Synthesis of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) : poly(styrene sulfonate)-capped silver nanoparticles and their application to blue polymer light-emitting diodes

“…The absorption peak of PEDOT: PSS-capped Ag NPs after being over-coated by PEDOT : PSS was observed at 468 nm, which is about 30 nm shifted from that of Ag NPs before the PEDOT: PSS film was coated on it. This shift of the absorption peak can be elucidated as a consequence of change in the surrounding medium of Ag NPs from air to PEDOT : PSS [31].…”

Enhanced photoluminescence of conjugated polymer thin films on nanostructured silver

“…In the last decade, research has shown large enhancements in ultra-sensitive sensors [1], fluorescence [2][3][4], and diodes [5] due to the proximal effects plasmons have on materials. A plethora of researchers are actively pursuing increases in light absorption in silicon based photovoltaics [6] and surface enhanced fluorescence (SEF) of dyes [7,8] using SPs but only a few have begun to probe the differences in photoluminescence (PL) of conjugated polymers and organic dyes [9][10][11][12]. Given the importance of the fluorescent semiconducting polymers for applications such as light emitting diodes, solar cells [13], and luminescent solar concentrators [14], it is of interest to understand the large ratio of enhancements in dyes compared to conjugated polymers and the optimal distance dependence between the SP and the fluorescing molecule.…”

Plasmon enhancement of bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaic devices by electrode modification

“…The phenomenon has been applied to molecular sensing, 9 photovoltaic devices, 10,11 and light-emitting devices. 12 Additional work has demonstrated even more dramatic effects using surface plasmon resonance associated with nanotextured thin metal films and gratings that increase the efficiency of photoluminescence, 13 light-emitting devices, 14,15 and photodetectors. 16 The effect has also been shown to be partly responsible for the enhancement of organic solar cells by the incorporation of nanotextured metal.…”