Plasmon chemistry sheds new light on designing photocatalysts

Plasmons’ ability to directly excite molecules and partake in a chemical reaction has been observed by researchers in Japan, South Korea and the US. The work provides fundamental insight into the underlying photochemistry and could aid the design of photocatalysts.

Localised surface plasmons are collective oscillations of materials’ free electron density. They can be triggered by photons, providing a route for energy from light to be channelled into chemical reactions. The precise mechanism by which this occurs, however, remains controversial.