Excitation of Fluorescent Emission from Solutions at the Surface of Polymer Thin-Film Waveguides: An Integrated Optics Technique for the Sensing of Fluorescence at the Polymer/Solution Interface

Author: Reichert W. M.   Ives J. T.   Suci P. A.   Hlady V.  

Publisher: Society for Applied Spectroscopy

ISSN: 0003-7028

Source: Applied Spectroscopy, Vol.41, Iss.4, 1987-05, pp. : 636-640

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Abstract

In this paper we report a technique for the excitation and collection of fluorescence in a flow cell coupled to the surface of an integrated optical waveguide. The waveguides were 1-2-μm-thick poly(styrene) films spun-cast onto acid-cleaned Pyrex® microscope slides. The flow cell was used to introduce fluorescent solutions to the light energy at the polymer waveguide surface. The flow cell volume consisted of a 0.051-cm-thick silastic gasket sandwiched between a glass collection window and the pólymer waveguide surface. Fluorescence data from the waveguide surface excitation of fluorescein solutions are presented. Evanescent- and scatter-excited emissions are separated with the use of light attenuation theory. The application of polymer thin-film waveguides to the study of protein adsorption at the polymer/solution interface is discussed.