Plasmon enhanced fluorescence from quaternary CuInZnS quantum dots

Plasmon enhanced fluorescence of heavy-metal-free CuInZnS quantum dots was explored. CuInZnS were chemically synthesized with different sizes via variation of the growth time of the CuInS while plasmonic silver films (PSFs) were also fabricated through physical deposition. The QD/PSF coupling structure gives significant rise to fluorescence intensity and stability of the QDs. As high as 45 folds enhancement in emission intensity and 41.23% decrease in fluorescence lifetimes are observed. The metal-enhanced fluorescence offers promise for a range of applications, including LEDs, sensor technology, microarrays and single-molecule studies.