Fluorescence enhancement of acridine orange in a water solution by Au nanoparticles

The surface enhanced fluorescence effect of acridine orange fluorophore in the proximity of Au nanoparticles has been investigated experimentally in the system of aqueous solution. Significant enhancement of the fluorescence intensity was observed when the system was excited with 532 nm or 442 nm CW lasers. The influence of the distances between neighboring Au particles as well as that between the fluorophore molecules and the Au surface were explored experimentally. The results demonstrated that a compact distribution of metallic particles was able to produce stronger fluorescence enhancement. Proper separation between the fluorophore molecules and the metal surface was favorable for a better enhancement.