Remote biosensing with polychromatic optical waveguide using blue light-emitting organic nanowires hybridized with quantum dots

Abstract

Nanometer-scale optical waveguides are attractive due to their potential applicability in photonic integration, optoelectronic communication, and optical sensors. Nanoscale white light-emitting and/or polychromatic optical waveguides are desired for miniature white-light generators in microphotonic circuits. Here, polychromatic (i.e., blue, green, and red) optical waveguiding characteristics are presented using a novel hybrid composite of highly crystalline blue light-emitting organic nanowires (NWs) combined with blue, green, and red CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs). Near white-color waveguiding is achieved for organic NWs hybridized with green and red QDs. Light, emitted from QDs, can be transferred to the organic NW and then optically waveguided through highly packed π-conjugated organic molecules in the NW with different decay characteristics. Remote biosensing using dye-attached biomaterials is presented by adapting the transportation of QD-emitted light through the organic NW. Nanoscale polychromatic optical waveguides are demonstrated using a novel hybrid composite of highly crystalline blue light-emitting organic nanowires (NWs) combined with blue, green, and red CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs). The transportation of QD-emission through the highly packed π-conjugated organic NW enhanced the remote biosensing signal. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.