30 seconds procedure for decoration of titania nanotube with noble metals as metal-dielectric spacer materials towards tunable Purcell Factor and plasmon-coupled emission enhancement

In this manuscript, we demonstrate rapid decoration of titania nanotube (TiNT) with noble metals using electrochemical synthesis and its application as a hybrid metal-dielectric spacer and cavity material in surface plasmon-coupled emission (SPCE) platform. Using the metal-dielectric spacer architecture consisting of Pt decorated titania nanotubes, Pt@TiNT, we have achieved remarkable 104-fold fluorescence signal enhancement in the SPCE platform, owing to the combined effect of low plasmon loss of TiNT, increased local field excitation by Pt nanoparticles and increased activity of TiNT by Pt decoration. We have further carried out finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulation to compute the Purcell factor (PF) and correlated it with the enhancement obtained from SPCE experiments. Besides, we have also evaluated the effect of Au and Au-Pt decorated TiNT as a plasmonic substrate.

Automated summary

In this study, rapid decoration of titania nanotubes with noble metals using electrochemical synthesis was demonstrated, and its application as a hybrid metal-dielectric spacer and cavity material in surface plasmon-coupled emission (SPCE) platform was discussed. The significant enhancement of fluorescence signal in the SPCE platform was achieved by using the metal-dielectric spacer architecture consisting of Pt decorated titania nanotubes, Pt@TiNT, attributed to the combined effect of low plasmon loss of TiNT, increased local field excitation by Pt nanoparticles, and increased activity of TiNT by Pt decoration. Additionally, the effect of Au and Au-Pt decorated TiNT as a plasmonic substrate was also evaluated.