Plasmonic nanostructures offer a powerful platform for studying and controlling light-driven catalytic reactions. This paper presents a high-efficiency nanoreactor based on a nanoparticle-on-mirror (NPOM) platform, enabling precise control and observation of the Pd-catalyzed C-C coupling reaction. Atomic monolayer coatings of Pd on Au facets allow tuning of reaction kinetics. The study demonstrates significantly improved catalytic efficiency compared to aggregated nanoparticle platforms and reveals distinct roles for Pd monolayers on the nanoparticle and mirror in surface reaction kinetics. The findings provide design rules for plasmonic catalysis based on molecular configuration in well-defined nanostructures.

Gyeongwon Kang, Shu Hu, Chenyang Guo, Rakesh Arul, Sarah M. Sibug-Torres, Jeremy J. Baumberg