Applications of Plasmon-Enhanced Nanocatalysis to Organic Transformations

Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) is a physical phenomenon exhibited by nanoparticles of metals including coinage metals, alkali metals, aluminum, and some semiconductors which translates into electromagnetic, thermal, and chemical properties. In the past decade, LSPR has been taken advantage of in the context of catalysis. While plasmonic nanoparticles (PNPs) have been successfully applied toward enhancing catalysis of inorganic reactions such as water splitting, they have also demonstrated exciting performance in the catalysis of organic transformations with potential applications in synthesis of molecules from commodity to pharmaceutical compounds. The advantages of this approach include improved selectivity, enhanced reaction rates, and milder reaction conditions. This review provides the basics of LSPR theory, details the mechanisms at play in plasmon-enhanced nanocatalysis, sheds light onto such nanocatalyst design, and finally systematically presents the breadth of organic reactions hence catalyzed.