For the past 20 years, SPR has been used for biomolecular interaction analysis. Now, MP-SPR broadens the application range to material characterization. Surfaces of metals and biomaterials, such as ceramic or polymer coatings, can be characterized with Ångström precision.
The key to the Multi-Parametric Surface Plasmon Resonance is the measurement of full SPR curves. When measured as a function of time (with sampling rate of one curve every few seconds), the results can be calculated to many different physical parameters describing the sample properties or interactions.
Above, you can see an animation of a full SPR curve scan.
The graph shows a shift in SPR due to formation of a layer at the surface. The new layer can be formed in-situ or ex-situ. The x-axis is the angle at which the laser excites plasmons. The y-axis shows the level of light intensity reflected from the surface. The dip in the curve (lowest light intensity) shows, when the plasmons are excited. Full SPR curves are used to obtain physical properties of the layer.
What is the difference between ellipsometry and MP-SPR? Is MP-SPR based on spectroscopic ellipsometry? Find out here or ask us about your sample!