Application of Plasmon excitation for the initiation of thermal reactions under mild conditions

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Minute noble metal particles, such as gold nanoparticles have characteristic colour. In the case of gold the particles are red and have been used for centuries as pigments for ceramics and stained glasses. It has been recently discovered that these particles, when illuminated with visible light (e.g. sunlight) can cause chemical reactions that normally require high temperatures to occur under mild, room temperature conditions. This project aims at utilizing this unusual property of metal nanoparticles to reduce the energy required to carry out chemical transformations, such as those used to make organic molecules for pharmaceuticals, dyes and plastics.