Plasmon effect of Ag nanoparticles on förster resonance energy transfer in a series of cationic polymethine dyes

Abstract

Enhanced Förster resonance energy transfer was found for donor–acceptor pairs of cationic dyes in the presences of silver nanoparticles (NPs) in solution. This enhancement is attributed both to an increase in the fluorescence intensity of the dyes and the direct effect of local plasmon resonance of the NPs on the energy transfer rate constant. Even in the case of low energy transfer efficiency, a significant increase in the rate constant of this process in the presence of silver NPs was found to be possible.