In situ label-free monitoring of noble metal nanoparticle-catalyzed reactions using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy: correlative single particle studies and mechanistic investigations

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Noble metal nanoparticles are important catalysts for many chemical reactions. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is capable of in situ probing the underlying molecular transformations in a label-free manner with high chemical specificity, high sensitivity, and interface selectivity. In this joint NSFC/DFG proposal, the applicants from China (Xie) and Germany (Schlücker) want to continue their existing successful collaboration and to combine their expertise for investigating the nitro-to-amino conversion on the surface of gold, platinum, and palladium nanoparticles using hydride and molecular hydrogen as reducing agents. Various bifunctional noble metal core/satellite nanoparticles with both SERS and catalytic activity will be synthesized (Xie lab) and characterized in correlative SERS spectroscopic/electron microscopic experiments at the single-particle level in custom-made reactors (Schlücker lab). By synthesizing and investigating a set of rationally designed educt molecules with the nitro group at various positions (Xie lab) we want to obtain a mechanistic understanding on how the nitro-to-amino conversion takes place. Finally, high-resolution SERS spectroscopy (Xie lab) in combination with accompanying DFT calculations (Schlücker lab) aims at resolving the corresponding reaction intermediates in a microfluidic reactor.