We demonstrate that plasmonic silver nanoparticles, optically excited with low intensity (order of Solar intensity) visible light, exhibit direct photo-catalytic activity. We will show that the underlying mechanisms governing bond making (breaking) on optically excited plasmonic metals are fundamentally different than on semiconductors and those related to classical thermo-catalytic processes. Consequently, plasmonic metals exhibit profoundly different behavior. For example, unlike semiconductors, these materials exhibit a positive relationship between reaction rates (and quantum efficiencies) and light intensity. Also, plasmonic nanostructures exhibit an exponential increase of photo-catalytic rate (and quantum efficiency) on operating temperature.We have developed a molecular model based on first-principles calculations that describes photo-chemical transformations on plasmonic metals. We show that the model captures the unique, experimentally observed features of the photo-catalytic processes on plasmonic metals. P. Christopher, H. Xin, M. Andiappan, S. Linic, Singular Characteristics and Unique Chemical Bond Activation Mechanisms of Photocatalytic Reactions on Plasmonic Nanostructures, Nature Materials, 2012 (in press)Suljo Linic, Phillip Christopher and David B. Ingram, �Plasmonic-metal nanostructures for efficient conversion of solar to chemical energy, Nature Materials,  10 , 911, 2011.P. Christopher, H. Xin, S.Linic, Visible light enhanced catalytic oxidation reactions on plasmonic silver nanostructures, Nature Chemistry,  3, 467, 2011.

Direct photo-catalysis on optically excited plasmonic metal nanostructures

245th National Meeting (2013)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.