Simultaneous monitoring of the fluorescence and refractive index by surface plasmon coupled emission: A proof-of-concept study

Simultaneous acquisition of fluorescence property and refractive index using a single surface plasmon coupled emission (SPCE) measurement has been achieved, thus achieving synchronicity in real time. The SPCE sensor was employed for monitoring the adsorption of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by dye-encapsulated metal-organic frameworks (Dye@MOFs). Refractive index can reveal surface molecular adsorption and the fluorescence with information on refractive index can provide a comprehensive analysis of the adsorption events of VOCs on the interface. Meantime, the signal intensity can be amplified by combining the responses caused by changes in refractive index and the fluorescence property in parallel. This all-in-one method opens up a route to monitoring multiple processes simultaneously occurring on the interface.