Metal-enhanced fluorescence from plastic substrates
AssigneeUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore County
InventorsChris D. Geddes, Kadir Aslan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to methods for functionally modifying a polymeric surface for subsequent deposition of metallic particles and/or films, wherein the polymeric surface is modified by increasing hydroxyl and/or amine functional groups thereby providing an activated polymeric surface for deposition of metallic particles to form a fluorescence sensing device. The device can be used for metal-enhanced fluorescence of fluorophores positioned above the metallic particles that can be readily applied to diagnostic or sensing applications of metal-enhanced fluorescence.
Claims11
A method for depositing a noble metal on a polymeric surface, the method comprising:
- a) providing a polymeric material with low density of hydroxyl surface functionality;
- b) modifying the polymeric material with a chemical or physical etching agent, wherein the modified polymeric material comprises an increased number of exposed hydroxyl groups or amine group on the polymeric surface relative to an unmodified surface;
- c) silylating the modified polymeric material with an amine containing silane to provide an amino-terminated polymeric material;
- and
- d) depositing a noble metal on the amino-terminated polymeric material.
A method for forming a patterned metallic surface on a polymeric substrate, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a carbonate polymeric substrate;
- (b) etching the surface of the polymeric substrate with an etching agent to increase hydroxyl groups on the surface of polymer substrate relative to an unetched polymeric surface;
- (c) contacting the polymeric substrate having increased hydroxyl groups with a silylating agent to replace at least some of the hydroxyl groups with amine groups to form an amino-activated surface;
- and
- (d) depositing noble metal particles on the amino-activated polymeric substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.