Fluorescence from metallic silver and iron nanoparticles prepared by exploding wire technique

TL;DR

This study reports intense visible fluorescence from silver and iron nanoparticles produced by exploding wire technique, highlighting surface/interface dependence and effects of surface capping on fluorescence enhancement.

Contribution

It demonstrates a simple exploding wire method to synthesize fluorescent silver and iron nanoparticles with surface capping effects studied.

Findings

Silver nanoparticles show enhanced fluorescence with protein adsorption.

Poly-vinyl pyrrolidone stabilizes iron nanoparticles and increases fluorescence.

Fluorescence depends on surface/interface electronic transitions.

Abstract

The observation of intense visible fluorescence from silver and iron nanoparticles in different solution phases and surface capping is reported here. Metallic silver and iron nanoparticles were obtained by exploding pure silver and iron wires in pure water. Bovine serum albumin protein adsorption on the silver nanoparticles showed an enhanced fluorescence. The presence of poly-vinyl pyrrolidone polymer in the exploding medium resulted in a stabilized growth of iron nanoparticles with enhanced fluorescence intensity. The fluorescence was found to be surface /interface dependant. The fluorescence is attributed to electronic transitions among characteristic interface energy bands. The magnetic nature of iron nanoparticles was confirmed from the hysteresis measurements.