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The impact of optically rectified fields on plasmonic electrocatalysis.
Darby A Nelson1, Zachary D Schultz
1The Ohio State University, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. Schultz.133@osu.edu.
Faraday Discussions
|March 2, 2019
Summary
Optically rectified electric fields from nanostructured materials significantly alter electrochemical reactions. This nonlinear phenomenon in plasmonic catalysis shows potential for enhancing photocatalyst performance.
Area of Science:
- Nanomaterials science
- Surface chemistry
- Electrochemistry
Background:
- Plasmon resonances in nanostructured materials can drive catalytic processes.
- Nanostructures with tight junctions generate direct current (DC) electric fields via optical rectification.
- These DC fields have been shown to modulate photocatalytic activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of optically rectified fields on catalytic reactions.
- To provide further evidence of DC electric fields influencing electrochemical reactivity on plasmonic surfaces.
Main Methods:
- Cyclic voltammetry was used to analyze electrochemical potentials.
- Stark spectroscopy was employed to study changes in surface potential on silver nanodendrite electrodes.
- Experiments involved a 2 mM copper sulfate (CuSO4) solution and absorbed nitriles.
Main Results:
- Optically excited silver nanodendrite electrodes lowered reduction and oxidation potentials by ~100 mV.
- Stark spectroscopy revealed photo-induced surface potential changes up to 300 mV in localized areas.
- Evidence suggests optically rectified fields alter electrochemical reactivity.
Conclusions:
- Optically rectified fields significantly impact electrochemical reactivity on plasmonic surfaces.
- Optimizing this nonlinear optical phenomenon could lead to improved plasmonic photocatalysts.
- This research opens new avenues for designing efficient plasmonic catalytic systems.
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