Distance-Dependent Surface Plasmon Resonance Coupling Between a Gold Grating Surface and Silver Nanoparticles

In this study, we achieved an enhancement of the transmission surface plasmon resonance (T-SPR) intensity by depositing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) onto a gold grating substrate. The T-SPR spectrum of the gold grating substrate with AgNPs showed a strong and narrow SPR peak located between 650 and 800 nm; the maximum SPR excitation was observed at a 35° angle of incidence. We controlled the distance between the gold grating surface and the AgNPs by using layer-by-layer (LbL) ultrathin films of poly(diallydimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) and poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) to study the distance dependence of the coupling effect between the AgNPs and the gold grating substrate. The distance-dependent T-SPR response of peak position and intensity showed distinctive changes when the intermediate layer was 10 bilayers (∼17 nm) thick. The strongest coupling surface plasmon excitation between the AgNPs and the gold grating substrate was obtained at this layer spacing. Furthermore, we explored the potential of the developed system as a switchable pH sensor. The T-SPR spectrum sensitively changed as the pH switched from acidic (pH 2) to alkaline (pH 12) conditions by the swelling/shrinking of the poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH)/PSS LbL film, respectively, which was deposited between the AgNPs and the gold grating. © 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York.