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arXiv · 1908.09415

Taking the Heat Off of Plasmonic Chemistry

Prashant K. Jain
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Abstract

Several chemical reactions catalyzed by plasmonic nanoparticles show enhanced rates under visible-light-excitation of the localized surface plasmon resonance of the nanoparticles. But it has been argued that there is an associated photothermal effect that can complicate the analysis and/or interpretation of the nature of the role played by plasmon excitation. This Viewpoint discusses this dilemma and provides some best practices for accounting for photothermal contributions in plasmon-excitation-driven chemistry. A classification of plasmonic chemistry into plasmonic photocatalysis and plasmonic photosynthesis is also proposed. It is argued that photosynthetic reactions, which require a Gibb's free energy input, constitute an ultimate test of the non-thermal, photochemical action of plasmon excitation.

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Prashant K. Jain. 2019-08-26. Taking the Heat Off of Plasmonic Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.9b08143

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