The present invention provides for a method to increase the triplet yield of a photosensitizer by the coupling to metal surface plasmons which leads to increased singlet oxygen generation by electric field enhancement or enhanced energy absorption of the photosensitizer. The extent of singlet oxygen enhancement can be tuned for applications in singlet oxygen based clinical therapy by modifying plasmon coupling parameters, such as metallic nanoparticle size and shape, photosensitizer/metallic nanoparticle distance, and the excitation wavelength of the coupling photosensitizer.
