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A Systematic Study on Au-Capped Si Nanowhiskers for Size-Dependent Improved Biosensing Applications

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Abstract

Reducing the distance between the fluorescence molecules and noble metal (resonant) nanostructures is known to advance the process of electromagnetic coupling and energy transfer, which in return yields fluorescence enhancement particularly exploited for improved biomedical applications. In this study, Au-capped Si nanowhiskers (NWs) at various sizes were fabricated using a vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) mechanism for systematically investigating the dependence of the size of the Au-capped Si NWs on the fluorescence enhancement factor with respect to the fluorescence emission from Rhodamine 6G (Rh-6G) fluorophore. Opposite to what is anticipated from the literature, the maximum enhancement was obtained for the sample for which the Au-nanoparticle (NP) capping is well isolated from the fluorophore and the vertical distance between the fluorophore and the plasmonic metal nanoparticle is largest. Numerical simulations using the finite element method (FEM) were shown to support the experimental optical response results. Four-point probe I-V measurements also show that the Schottky ideality factor of Au-capped Si NWs decays exponentially upon the rise in the fluorescence enhancement factor.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the support provided by Bilkent University UNAM.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Alyse Built-in Appliances, Organized Industrial Zone, 4th District, 05300 Merzifon, Amasya, Turkey

    İsa Şeker

  2. UNAM—National Nanotechnology Research Center and Institute of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, Bilkent University, 06800, Ankara, Turkey

    Ali Karatutlu & Bülend Ortaç

  3. Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Life and Brain Center, University of Bonn Medical Center, Sigmund-Freud Str. 25, 53127, Bonn, Germany

    Kurtuluş Gölcük

  4. Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Cumhuriyet University, 58140, Sivas, Turkey

    Mehmet Karakız

Authors
  1. İsa Şeker
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  2. Ali Karatutlu
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  3. Kurtuluş Gölcük
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  4. Mehmet Karakız
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  5. Bülend Ortaç
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Contributions

The works in the project were coordinated by Dr. İsa Şeker. The manuscript was written by Dr. İsa Şeker and Dr. Ali Karatutlu. The numerical analyses were performed by Dr. Ali Karatutlu and Dr. Bülend Ortaç. Fabrication of Au-capped Si NWs were conducted by Dr. İsa Şeker and Dr. Mehmet Karakız. Fluorescence enhancement studies of Rh-6G were conducted and recorded by Dr. İsa Şeker and Dr. Kurtuluş Gölcük. Dr. Ali Karatutlu and Dr. İsa Şeker also performed the morphological, structural, and electrical analyses of Au-capped Si NWs.

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Correspondence to İsa Şeker or Ali Karatutlu.

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Şeker, İ., Karatutlu, A., Gölcük, K. et al. A Systematic Study on Au-Capped Si Nanowhiskers for Size-Dependent Improved Biosensing Applications. Plasmonics 15, 1739–1745 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11468-020-01195-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11468-020-01195-7

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