Addition of Silica-Coated Ag Nanoparticles to Enhance Luminescence Intensity of Pressure-Sensitive Paints

Enhancement of the luminescent output of pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) has been achieved by adding silver nanostructures into a standard formulation by taking advantage of a metal-enhanced fluorescence effect. Traditionally, metal-enhanced fluorescence has been used in microscopy or thin-film sensing. However, in PSP applications, the luminescent film is applied onto large surfaces by using conventional paint application techniques, and imaging is acquired from longer distances. As such, many of the techniques deployed for maximum enhancement (such as careful spacing of the metal centers) is not easily achievable. Initial trials consisted of adding silver nanostructures into a PSP formulation. The luminescent enhancement was highly dependent on the concentration of the oxygen-sensitive dye. At very low concentrations of the dye (