Switching off FRET in the hybrid assemblies of diblock copolymer micelles, quantum dots, and dyes by plasmonic nanoparticles

Recently, it has been noticed that surface plasmon resonance of metal nanoparticles can alter the intrinsic properties of nearby fluorophores. Field enhancement and radiative decay engineering are major principles for understanding a number of experimental observations such as enhanced and quenched emission of fluorophores in the vicinity of metal nanoparticles. At the same time, there are apparent similarities between surface-plasmon-coupled fluorescence and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), as both are near-field through-space interactions. From this perspective, we hypothesize that donor-acceptor interaction in the FRET can be altered by metal nanoparticles. Our approach is based on diblock copolymer micelles, which have been widely applied for nanoscale arrangement of functionalities. By applying self-assembling techniques of copolymer micelles to organize the spatial location of semiconductor quantum dots, fluorescent dyes, and metal nanoparticles, the FRET in hybrid assemblies can be switched off by plasmonic effects.