Synergistic coupling of titanium carbonitride nanocubes and graphene oxide for 800-fold fluorescence enhancements on smartphone based surface plasmon-coupled emission platform

High refractive index, dielectric TiCN nanocubes presenting sharp nano-edges and nano-corners interfaced with plasmonic Ag nanofilms were evaluated with and without graphene oxide nanolayer in surface plasmon-coupled emission (SPCE) substrates. The sharply directional and polarized SPCE displayed >800-fold enhancements on account of integrated hotspots presenting augmented electromagnetic fields. The obtained fluorescence enhancements were in excellent correlation with the luminosity values obtained via smartphone based SPCE platform. The in-house developed technology presents unique advancement for sensing applications with futuristic scope for exploration of novel nanomaterials with 2-dimensional plasmonic materials. (c) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The integration of high refractive index dielectric TiCN nanocubes and plasmonic Ag nanofilms, with or without a graphene oxide nanolayer, resulted in significantly enhanced surface plasmon-coupled emission (SPCE) with sharp directionality and polarization. The obtained fluorescence enhancements showed excellent correlation with luminosity values obtained using smartphone-based SPCE platform, indicating potential for sensing applications and exploration of novel nanomaterials with 2-dimensional plasmonic materials.