Self-Assembled Monolayer- and Nanoparticle-Based Phosphorescent Sensors

Well-defined nanosurfaces and nanostructures display several intrinsic properties such as a large surface area and high degrees of functionalization that are amenable to sensing applications. This project focuses on the development of synthetic strategies and sensing capabilities for luminophore-bearing nanoparticles and self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). The judicious design and preparation of emissive metal-organic moieties that are suitable for attachment onto nanoparticles and SAMs will be undertaken. Saliently, a novel strategy to avoid the intrinsic problem of emission quenching in luminophore-bound nanoparticles is proposed. The underlying objective of this project is to develop highly emissive SAM- and nanoparticle-based phosphorescent sensory materials. The research comprises basic and applied components, in the form of detailed characterization studies on the novel SAMs and nanoparticle-luminophore interaction, and investigations into the luminescent sensing of biomolecular and environmental analytes, respectively.