Photoluminescence from Carbon Dot-Gold Nanoparticle Composites Enhanced by Photonic and Plasmonic Double-Resonant Effects

Abstract

Carbon dots (CDs) exhibit chemical stability and low toxicity, so they are promising for biomedical and imaging applications. The quantum yield of the photoluminescence is typically 10-20%, which limits practical applications. We fabricate carbon dot-gold nanoparticle photonic crystals (CD-GNP PCs) and demonstrate enhanced photoluminescence intensity from the carbon dots using the photonic and plasmonic double-resonant effects. A severalfold enhancement was obtained compared to the neat CD. The method developed in this study provides a universal scheme to enhance light-emitting materials, which is promising for the development of ultrahigh molecular sensing and bioimaging techniques.

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