Heterogeneous Plasmonic Photocatalysis: Light-Driven Chemical Reactions Introduce a New Approach to Industrially-Relevant Chemistry

On the surface of a metallic nanoparticle that supports collective electronic (plasmon) resonances, strongly enhanced optical fields, energetic electrons and/or holes, and strong photothermal heating can be induced by optical illumination. These processes create a local environment where chemical reactions can occur with unusually high efficiencies, and at temperatures far below those required for conventional catalysts. Reaction barriers can be lowered, and product outcomes modified in entirely new ways. Here we discuss the physical mechanisms that give rise to chemical reactivity on plasmonic nanoparticle surfaces, how these materials can be combined with other materials that facilitate adsorbate binding, and the mechanisms by which these processes modify chemical reactions. We also describe how experimental studies are providing new insight into these chemical reactions in real time, and at the molecular level. With solid-state lighting sources (lasers and LEDs) and photocatalytic nanoparticles tailored for specific chemical reactions, new doors are opening for unprecedented control of chemical reactions that are highly relevant for commercial industrial processes.