Workshop on Transition Beyond Fossil Fuels: Plasmonic Catalysis Based on Metal Nanoparticles: Thermal plus Nonthermal for Maximum Light Enhancement

Presenter: Jie Liu, George Barth Geller Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, Duke University

In plasmonic catalysis, recent studies have shown that both photothermal effect and hot-carrier-based nonthermal effect are important for the overall enhancement of reaction speed by light. Our group have developed method to experimentally untangle the thermal and nonthermal effects, which contributed significantly to the development of more accurate understanding of plasmonic catalysis. More recently, it became obvious that the combination of both thermal and non-thermal effects was the most effective approach to maximize the effect from light. Non-the-less, the net results from plasmonic catalysis should be a greatly enhanced reaction speed, regardless of whether the main factor is thermal or nonthermal. IN this presentation, a system study on how to optimize the overall light efficiency in plasmonic catalysis will be presented and the potential application for a full spectrum photocatalysis process will be discussed.