Revealing the correlation between the size, structure, and fluorescence enhancement in Ag@Au nanocube clusters: a high-content platform approach

Abstract

This work presents a high-content platform for investigating the critical interplay between the nanoparticle cluster size, structure, and plasmon-enhanced fluorescence at a single particle level. The platform enables the controlled assembly of pre-synthesized, bio-conjugatable Ag@Au nanocubes into clusters with varying sizes and configurations, ultimately arranged in an array pattern. Notably, the platform statistically reveals that Ag@Au nanocubes achieve over two orders of magnitude greater fluorescence enhancement compared to Au nanoparticles alone. Moreover, it identifies a crucial size regime for maximizing fluorescence enhancement. Clusters containing 1–4 nanocubes exhibit a direct correlation between the fluorescence intensity and the number of particles, as well as cluster configuration. Compact clusters display a significantly stronger fluorescence response compared to loosely packed configurations. This high-content platform offers a powerful approach for the rapid, simultaneous characterization of multiple nanoparticles, paving the way for efficient, large-scale fluorescence-based detection.