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Study on the sensitivity enhancement of fiber SPR sensor by gold nanorods

Rui Wang (Chongqing Three Gorges University, Chongqing, China)
Chunlan Liu (Chongqing Three Gorges University, Chongqing, China)
Yong Wei (Chongqing Three Gorges University, Chongqing, China)
Yudong Su (Chongqing Three Gorges University, Chongqing, China)

Sensor Review

ISSN: 0260-2288

Article publication date: 3 August 2021

Issue publication date: 13 October 2021

189

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to study the sensitivity enhancement effect of the gold nanorod on fiber surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor. It proposes modeling the sensing effects of fiber SPR sensor decorated with metal nanoparticles. By using simulation and experiment, the sensitivity enhancement effect of the gold nanorod was studied and demonstrated.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper opted for an exploratory study using simulation approach of finite-difference time-domain. Specifically, the effect of ratios and aspect ratios of gold nanorod on sensing performance are investigated theoretically. Based on the mathematical models, the validation experiments by using the gold nanorod with the aspect ratios of 5.1 were done to verify the sensitivity enhancement effect of the gold nanorod.

Findings

In conclusion, it is evident that with the increases of the aspect ratios, the sensing sensitivity of the refractive index increases first, then gradually stabilizes or decreases. After parameter optimization, the ratios and aspect ratios of gold nanorod are chosen to be 8 nm and 12.5, respectively, which makes the optimal refractive index sensitivity of 4465.53 nm/RIU be realized. In addition, the validation experiments by using the gold nanorod with the aspect ratios of 5.1 verify the sensitivity enhancement effect of the gold nanorods.

Originality/value

This paper proposes and demonstrates a new method for the sensitivity enhancement of fiber SPR sensor. After parameter optimization, the maximum sensitivity of 4465.53 nm/RIU was achieved by using 8 nm gold nanorods with the aspect ratios of 12.5. To verify the sensitivity enhancement of the gold nanorods, the authors also did the validation experiments. The testing results indicated that after the decoration of the gold nanorods, the sensitivity of the sensing probe increases from 2190.57 nm/RIU to 2693.24 nm/RIU, which demonstrates the sensitivity enhancement effect of the gold nanorods.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 61705025), Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province (F2018027) and partially supported by the following grants: Chongqing Natural Science Foundation (cstc2019jcyj-msxmX0431, cstc2018jcyjAX0817), the Science and Technology Project Affiliated to the Education Department of Chongqing Municipality(No. KJQN201801217, KJQN201901226, KJ1710247), Chongqing Key Laboratory of Geological Environment Monitoring and Disaster Early-Warning in Three Gorges Reservoir Area (ZD2020A0103, ZD2020A0102), and Fundamental Research Funds for Chongqing Three Gorges University of China (No. 19ZDPY08).

Citation

Wang, R., Liu, C., Wei, Y. and Su, Y. (2021), "Study on the sensitivity enhancement of fiber SPR sensor by gold nanorods", Sensor Review, Vol. 41 No. 4, pp. 390-396. https://doi.org/10.1108/SR-03-2021-0097

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

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