Amplifying Sensing Capabilities: Combining Plasmonic Resonances and Fresnel Reflections through Multivariate Analysis.

Multivariate analysis applied in biosensing greatly improves analytical performance by extracting relevant information or bypassing confounding factors such as nonlinear responses or experimental errors and noise. Plasmonic sensors based on various light coupling mechanisms have shown impressive performance in biosensing by detecting dielectric changes with high sensitivity. In this study, gold nanodiscs are used as metasurface in a Kretschmann setup, and a variety of features from the reflectance curve are used by machine learning to improve sensing performance.

Ultrathin films of variable polarity and crystallinity obtained from 1,2-polybutadiene nanoparticle dispersions.

Characterization of ultrathin films of different polymer nanoparticles obtained at room temperature via spin-coating of aqueous dispersions and their morphology are described. Very small nanoparticles of semicrystalline 1,2-polybutadiene (PB), noncrystalline poly(1-butene) (PH), and poly(1-butenal) (PHF) were prepared via catalytic emulsion polymerization and subsequent hydrogenation or hydroformylation. The prefabricated nanoparticles were used as building blocks.

Conveniently accessible polymer nanoparticles of adjustable polarity.

The postpolymerization modification by hydroformylation of 1,2-polybutadiene nanoparticles provides access to colloidally stable aqueous dispersions of <20 nm particles. Their polarity can be adjusted via the degree of conversion of double bonds over a broad range. Fluorescence studies illustrate the polarity of the environment experienced by pyrene as a probe molecule.