'Using Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy to Probe and Understand the Mechanism of Electron-mediated Chemical Reactions on Plasmonic Nanoparticle Catalysts

摘要

An emerging field of heterogeneous catalysis involves the use of plasmonic metal nanoparticles as photocatalysts. These systems take advantage of the excitation of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) in the presence of solar spectrum light to enhance rates of catalytic reactions on plasmonic metal nanoparticles. It has been proposed that these chemical transformations take place through an electron transfer from the plasmonic catalyst to the adsorbate, leading to an electron-driven activation of chemical transformations. While the general features of the process are reasonably well understood, there are certain aspects of the mechanism that are less clear. Among others, the nature of the interaction between the localized surface plasmon states and adsorbate electronic states is still under debate.