Formation, structure and wettability of fluorescent nanolayers of oligoperoxide europium complexes adsorbed to glass surface

Abstract Formation kinetics and the nanolayer structure are determined for fluorescent complexes, which are composed of oligoperoxide and europium (OP–Eu), and are adsorbed to glass from water–ammonia solutions. The effective surface fraction x modified by OP–Eu is evaluated (with the Cassie equation) from receding contact angles. Its temporal behavior is repeated by the average adlayer thickness d , determined from ellipsometry, indicating rapid adsorption followed by gradual desorption. The fraction x increases with d to saturate at ∼ 90% for 57 nm. Atomic Force Microscopy micrographs and refractive indices do not reflect simple composite surfaces. Therefore a thickness effect on OP–Eu surface energy is also advocated. Fluorescent microscopy confirms luminescent properties of OP–Eu, applicable for protein detection.