Study of Au-Ag alloy film based infrared surface plasmon resonance sensors

Abstract

Au-Ag alloy films deposited on the glass substrates are used, for the first time, as a wavelength-interrogated near infrared surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor. The values of resonance wavelength (λR) of the sensor at different angles of incidence are determined by absorptiometry and its refractive-index (RI) sensitivity is investigated using aqueous glucose solutions as the standard RI samples. As the incident angle increases from 7.5° to 9.5°, the SPR absorption peak shifts from λR = 1215 nm to 767.7 nm, the full width at half magnitude (FWHM) of the peak reduces from 292.8 nm to 131.4 nm, and the RI sensitivity decreases from 35648.3 nm/RIU down to 9363.6 nm/RIU. At the same initial λR, the SPR sensor with the Au-Ag alloy film shows a higher sensitivity than that with the pure Au film (S = 29793.9 nm/RIU at λR=1215 nm with a pure Au film). Adsorption of bovine serum album molecules from the aqueous solution of 1 μmol/L protein results in a redshift of ΔλR = 12.1 nm with the Au-Ag alloy film and ΔλR=9.5 nm with the pure Au film. The experimental data also indicate that the FWHM of the SPR absorption peak with the Au-Ag alloy film is larger than that at the same λR with the pure Au film, leading to a lower spectral resolution than that of the latter.