Set of 12 certified fluorescence quantum yield standards
Source: BAM,Biophotonics Division
Fluorescent materials, which emit photons after light absorption, are nowadays widely used in daily life, e.g., as security codes for banknotes, reporters in medical diagnostics, optical contrast agents for bioimaging, and optically active materials in plasma screens and solid-state lighting. All these applications require well characterized materials that absorb and emit light within certain spectral windows in the ultraviolet, visible, or near infrared with a defined and known intensity and efficiency.
A measure for the fluorescence efficiency of a luminescent molecule or luminescent nanoparticle is the so-called fluorescence quantum yield (Φf), which equals the ratio of the number of emitted photons to the number of absorbed photons. This key spectroscopic property is used to compare the performance of different types of luminophores. Measuring this property is thus an essential part of the characterization of every new luminophore. For the determination of this application-relevant spectroscopic key property, which is regulated by the standard IEC 62607-3-1 from the international standardization committee International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), manufacturers of luminescent compounds and nanomaterials as well as users from industry and academia need reliably characterized reference materials (RMs), termed here fluorescence quantum yield standards. Such RMs are also mandatory for the evaluation and validation of measurement procedures and setups used to determine Φf.
The Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) is now the first institute worldwide to offer a set of 12 certified fluorescence quantum yield standards that absorb and emit in the wavelength range of 330-1000 nm. The development of these fluorescence quantum yield standards, criteria used for the selection of the RMs, and each step involved in the certification procedure are highlighted in this publication in Analytical Chemistry. This includes absolute and relative measurements of Φf-with calibrated instruments, homogeneity and stability studies for each RM, and the calculation of a complete uncertainty budget for each certified Φf-value. With these new certified reference materials (CRMs), that are available from the BAM web shop, the fluorescence user community from industry and academia has now tools at hand that pave the road to accurate and reliable Φf-measurements and a better comparability of Φf data.
Fluorescence Quantum Yield Standards for the UV/Visible/NIR: Development, Traceable Characterization, and Certification
Jutta Pauli, Arne Güttler, Thomas Schneider, Christian Würth, and Ute Resch-Genger
Published in Analytical Chemistry, volume 95, issue 13, pages 5671–5677, 2023.
BAM Department Analytical Chemistry; Reference Materials
BAM Division Biophotonics