Plasmonics-attended NSET and PRET for analytical applications

Abstract Plasmonic nanoparticles are inextricably linked to the luminescence enhancement and quenching, the main route of which is through energy transfer. Nanometal surface energy transfer (NSET) displays the ability to overcome the fundamental distance limitation (10 nm) of the widely used Forster (or fluorescence) resonance energy transfer (FRET). Besides, the plasmon resonance energy transfer (PRET), another energy transfer plasmonics nanoparticles attended, has become an important optical tool in quantitative analysis and bioimaging in the last decade. Herein, we summarize the analytical applications of both the NSET and PRET technologies. At last, we discuss the opportunities and challenges of these two energy transfer techniques.