Engineering of microgel assisted lab-on-fiber platforms

In this work, we report on a reliable fabrication strategy, based on the dip coating technique, for integrating a microgel monolayer onto the nanostructured optical fiber tip in a controlled fashion. The creation of a uniform microgel monolayer with a specific coverage factor is crucial for controlling the probes responsivity to a pre-defined target parameter. Specifically, in the case study of Lab-on-Fiber plasmonic probes, we demonstrated that microgel coverage factors exceeding 90% allow to optimize the probe responsivity to both temperature and pH, chosen as benchmark stimuli. Moreover, with the aim of providing a design tool for MG assisted devices, we also propose an analytical model describing the light-MG layer interaction, as a function of the external stimulus applied. Overall, this study opens the way for the development of engineered microgels assisted Lab-on-Fiber probes for sensing applications. © OSA 2018 © 2018 The Author(s)