Tuning plasmon transitions and their applications in organic photochemistry

JUAN C. SCAIANO; JOSE C. NETTO-FERREIRA; EMILIO ALARCON; PAUL BILLONE; CARLOS J. BUENO-ALEJO; CHARLES-ONEIL L. CRITES; MATTHEW DECAN; CHIARA FASCIANI; MARIA GONZALEZ-BEJAR; GENIECE HALLET-TAPLEY; KATHERINE L. MCGILVRAY; NATALIA L. PACIONI; ANDREA PARDOE; LAETITIA RENE-BOISNEUF; RACHEL SCHWARTZ-NARBONNE; M. JAZMIN SILVERO; KEVIN G. STAMPLECOSKIE; TSE-LUEN WEE

PURE AND APPLIED CHEMISTRY

INT UNION PURE APPLIED CHEMISTRY

Año: 2011 p. 913 - 930

0033-4545

The ketone-photoinduced formation of Au, Ag, and Cu nanoparticles from theircorresponding ions in solution has been carried out using benzoin photoinitiators. Ketonesare good photosensitizers for nanoparticle synthesis not because of the energy they canabsorb or deliver, but rather because of the reducing free radicals they can generate. Efficientphotochemical nanoparticle generation thus requires a careful selection of substrates andexperimental conditions such that free radical generation occurs with high quantum efficiency,where metal ion precursors do not inhibit radical formation. A key consideration to achieve nanoparticle synthesis with short exposure times is to minimize excited-state quenching by metal ions.Applications of nanostructures in catalysis require control of the nanoparticle characteristics,such as dimension, morphology, and surface properties. Part of this article describesthe strategies to modify photochemically prepared particles. Finally, we illustrate some of the nanoparticle applications that interest us, with some emphasis on plasmon-mediatedprocesses.