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Measurement of Scattering Nonlinearities from a Single Plasmonic Nanoparticle
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Light-Controlled Nanoparticle Collision Experiments
Qian Wang1,2, Je Hyun Bae1,3, Alexander B Nepomnyashchii1
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Queens College-CUNY, Flushing, New York 11367, United States.
The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
|March 29, 2020
Summary
This study introduces novel light-controlled nanoimpact experiments for studying nanoparticle catalysis. New methods enable monitoring of platinum on titanium dioxide nanoparticles and iridium oxide nanoparticles during water oxidation reactions.
Area of Science:
- Electrochemistry
- Nanotechnology
- Materials Science
Background:
- Single nanoparticle (NP) collisions with ultramicroelectrodes (UME) are vital for studying electrocatalysis.
- Photoelectrochemical methods have recently been applied to semiconductive NPs.
Purpose of the Study:
- Introduce two new light-controlled nanoimpact experiments.
- Investigate catalytic activity of engineered nanoparticles at the single-particle level.
Main Methods:
- Localized photodeposition of platinum (Pt) catalyst onto titanium dioxide (TiO2) NPs using a UME.
- Monitoring photocurrent from collisions of iridium oxide (Ir oxide) NPs with a doped TiO2 single crystal electrode.
Main Results:
- Pt@TiO2 NPs generated measurable water oxidation current upon collision.
- Pristine TiO2 NPs showed negligible activity.
- Photocurrent changes indicated water oxidation activity of catalytic NPs.
Conclusions:
- Developed new light-controlled nanoimpact techniques for single nanoparticle electrocatalysis.
- Demonstrated the ability to synthesize and probe catalytic NPs *in situ*.
- Enabled sensitive detection of catalytic water oxidation at the single nanoparticle level.
