Photocatalysis with metal nanoparticles is attractive because of their unique plasmonic properties, such as large absorption cross section, high charge density, spectral tunability, and photostability. As a result, plasmonic photocatalysis has emerged as a distinct area in catalysis for performing different classes of chemical transformations. However, disentangling the exact mechanism in plasmonic photocatalysis is often challenging because of the interference from different plasmon relaxation pathways, which in turn is highly dependent on the catalyst–reactant system. Presently, the field demands a detailed investigation into different factors involved in plasmonic chemistry to gain a better understanding of the complex reaction pathway. Herein, we reveal the critical role of light excitation attributes in the plasmon-driven photoregeneration of the nicotinamide (NADH) cofactor by gold nanorods (AuNRs). The two distinct surface plasmon bands in AuNRs allowed us to study the exclusive role of interband vs intraband transitions in NADH photoregeneration. Also, the choice of reaction is ideal for testing various hypotheses, as it proceeds only in the presence of both light and catalyst. Long-lived hot charge carriers generated through interband transition, in combination with a favorable catalyst–reactant interaction, drive the efficient photoregeneration of the NADH cofactor (∼40%). Our study emphasizes the need for an appropriately chosen catalyst–reactant system and reaction conditions to gain meaningful insights into various factors controlling the product yield and selectivity in plasmonic photocatalysis. 

Deciphering the Role of Light Excitation Attributes in Plasmonic Photocatalysis: The Case of Nicotinamide Cofactor Regeneration

The debate surrounding the roles of thermal and non-thermal pathways in plasmonic catalysis has captured the attention of researchers and sparked vibrant discussions within the scientific community. In this review, we embark on a thorough exploration of this intriguing discourse, starting from fundamental principles and culminating in a detailed understanding of the divergent viewpoints. We probe into the core of the debate by elucidating the behavior of excited charge carriers in illuminated plasmonic nanostructures, which serves as the foundation for the two opposing schools of thought. We present the key arguments and evidence put forth by proponents of both the non-thermal and thermal pathways, providing a perspective on their respective positions. Beyond the theoretical divide, we discussed the evolving methodologies used to unravel these mechanisms. We discuss the use of Arrhenius equations and their variations, shedding light on the ensuing debates about their applicability. Our review emphasizes the significance of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), investigating its role in collective charge oscillations and the decay dynamics that influence catalytic processes. We also talked about the nuances of activation energy, exploring its relationship with the nonlinearity of temperature and light intensity dependence on reaction rates. Additionally, we address the intricacies of catalyst surface temperature measurements and their implications in understanding light-triggered reaction dynamics. The review further discusses wavelength-dependent reaction rates, kinetic isotope effects, and competitive electron transfer reactions, offering an all-inclusive view of the field. This review not only maps the current landscape of plasmonic photocatalysis but also facilitates future explorations and innovations to unlock the full potential of plasmon-mediated catalysis, where synergistic approaches could lead to different vistas in chemical transformations. 

The paradox of thermal vs. non-thermal effects in plasmonic photocatalysis

Efficient harvesting of the near-infrared (NIR) portion of the sunlight remains key to the development of a solar-to-fuel renewable energy infrastructure. Here we report on the development of first pristine plasmonic nanoparticle-assisted NIR-II photon-to-hydrogen production strategy that does not require any external electric bias or sacrificial chemicals. Our strategy utilizes a robust and easily scalable plasmonic substrate containing pristine gold nanoprisms to drive photocatalytic Si–H activation in water, producing hydrogen and silanol. The photocatalytic substrate exhibited excellent photon-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency of ∼0.85–1.45% for wavelengths between 1000 and 1700 nm while producing hydrogen at 132 μL min–1 mg–1 Au. The robustness and easy scalability of our catalyst fabrication, ease of usage, excellent photon-to-hydrogen production efficiency, and no requirement of additional energy bias make our strategy highly relevant for applications in the alternative energy sector. 

Efficient Harvesting of &gt;1000 nm Photons to Hydrogen via Plasmon-Driven Si–H Activation in Water

Photothermal therapy utilizes photothermal agents and the use of nanoparticle agents is deemed advantageous for multiple reasons. Common nano-photothermal agents normally have high conversion efficiencies and heating rates, but bulk temperature measurement methods do not adequately represent the nanoscale temperatures of these nanoheaters. Herein, we report on the fabrication of self-limiting hyperthermic nanoparticles that can simultaneously photoinduce hyperthermia and report back temperature ratiometrically. The synthesized nanoparticles utilize a plasmonic core to achieve the photoinduced hyperthermic property and fluorescent FRET pairs entrapped in a silica shell to impart the ratiometric temperature sensing ability. The studies demonstrate the photoinduced hyperthermia with simultaneous temperature measurement using these particles and show that the particles can achieve a conversion efficiency of 19.5% despite the shell architecture. These folate-functionalized self-limiting photothermal agents are also used to demonstrate targeted photoinduced hyperthermia in a HeLa cell model.

Folate targeting self-limiting hyperthermic nanoparticles for controlled photothermal therapy.

Scientists are exploring light-propelled micro/nanomotors for their potential applications and unique performance. Here, we have created match-like Janus nanomotors powered by visible/ near-infrared (NIR) light. These motors were fabricated from gold nanorod-titanium dioxide structure coated with a thermo-responsive polymer. The multi-segment metal nanorods (Au-Fe-Au) were fabricated using the porous anodic alumina (PAA) templates by electrodeposition method. The gold-iron oxide-gold nanorods were obtained after thermal annealing and dissolving the PAA membrane in a NaOH solution. The wet-chemistry method cultivated the titanium dioxide on both tips of the gold-iron oxide-gold nanorods. The Au nanorod@TiO2 heterostructure was prepared by removing the iron oxide segment in a hydrochloric acid solution. The reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization was used to synthesize a thermo-responsive copolymer, N-isopropyl acrylamide-co-acrylamide. By reducing the RAFT agent residue, -SH groups were created at the end of each polymer chain, providing better conditions for coating the surface of the Au domain with thiolated copolymer. The motion of Janus nanorods was studied using varying monochromatically visible and NIR lights that lead to the self-electrophoresis mechanism. Optical microscopy data revealed that the Janus nanomotors can move within the wavelength range of visible and NIR light. The nanomotors' motion velocity increased with an increase in light intensity. 

Propulsion of Au nanorod@TiO2/PNIPAm copolymer Janus nanomotors under the influence of visible/NIR-light via the self-electrophoretic propulsion mechanism

Insights into the Utilization and Quantification of Thermoplasmonic Properties in Gold Nanorod Arrays

Environmental Assessment in Product Development: Discussion

M1, M2: Time to Bid Adieu!

Handle everyday research tasks with reliable, citation-backed results

Your personal Research Agent to handle research tasks with citation-backed results

Popular Tasks used by Researchers

How can I help with your research?

Meet SciSpace

Get more enhanced response by uploading the PDFs you want me to reference.

No relevant PDFs in your library

SciSpace is the AI research assistant for academics. Run systematic literature reviews on 280M+ papers, and write papers with cited sources. Trusted by 1M+ students, PhDs & researchers.

SciSpace | AI for Research

Analyze PDFs

Code & Manuscripts

Funding & Grants

Literature & Patents

Medical & Clinical Data

Systematic Review

Visualize & Present

Web & Data

Build a Google Scholar-like website for your research.

Build a website

Create charts and images for your research

Create a Chart

Write a paper for submission to a journal

Draft a manuscript

Patent Search

Design eye-catching scientific posters in minutes.

Scientific Poster Generation

Systematic Literature Review

One task is running at the moment. Your messages will be shown right after.

Drag and drop or click here to browse

Loved by <highlight>1 million+</highlight> researchers

Extract a list of specific topics and their sources from unstructured text

Topics

Compare and analyze relevant papers that matches with your search

Papers

Get insights from PDFs and bookmarked papers from your library

My library

Recent searches

Try searching for:

Catch AI-generated content in scholarly and non-scholarly content

{ai} Detector

Ai Writer

Get PDF Summaries, highlighted text explanations 

Chat with PDF

Effortlessly create in-text citations and bibliographies in APA and 2,500 other formats

Citation generator

Get explanations, summaries, and answers on academic papers

Ease up your research workflow with {scispace}'s cohort of exciting AI tools

Elevate your academic writing skills and convey your ideas the way you want

Paraphraser

Explore our range of reading and writing tools

Your file is being prepared and should be ready in a few minutes. If it's a large file, it might take a bit longer. You can close this window, and we'll email you the file when it's done.

You have reached a maximum limit of <strong>{limit}</strong> columns in the table. Remove at least <strong>1</strong> column to add or create another one.

S. Roy

Author Tools

Chat about Author

Papers

Insights into the Utilization and Quantification of Thermoplasmonic Properties in Gold Nanorod Arrays

Environmental Assessment in Product Development: Discussion

M1, M2: Time to Bid Adieu!