This contribution summarizes some of our efforts in designing, assembling and functionally characterizing supramolecular interfacial architectures for bio-affinity studies and for biosensor development. All the surface interaction studies will be based on the recently introduced novel sensor platforms involving surface plasmon fluorescence spectroscopy (SPFS) and -microscopy (SPFM). Emphasis will be put on documenting the distance-dependence of fluorescence intensity at the metal-dielectric interface and utilizing this principle to optimize the conformation/orientation of the interfacial supra-molecular sensor coatings. This is exemplified by a number of examples, including a layer-by-layer assembly system, antibody-antigen interactions, oligonucleotide-oligonucleotide, and oligonucleotide-PCR amplicon hybridization. For practical sensing purposes, a three-dimensionally extended surface coating is then employed to overcome the fluorescence quenching problem on a planar matrix. A commercial dextran layer is shown to be an optimized matrix for SPFS, with an example of a protein-binding study.
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