Directional surface plasmon coupled chemiluminescence (SPCC) from nickel thin. films is demonstrated. Free-space and angular-dependent SPCC emission from blue, green and turquoise chemiluminescent solutions placed onto nickel thin. films attached to a hemispherical prism were measured. SPCC emission was found to be highly directional and preferentially p-polarized, in contrast to the unpolarized and isotropic chemiluminescence emission. The largest SPCC emission for all chemiluminescence solutions was observed at a. fixed observation angle of 60 degrees, which was also predicted by theoretical Fresnel calculations. It was found that nickel thin. films did not have a catalytic effect on chemiluminescence emission. (C) 2009 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.