Physical organic chemistry in nanotechnology and catalysis

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During the last 5 years we have successfully developed methods for the synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials taking advantage of the paradigms of photochemistry and physical organic chemistry. During the forthcoming grant period we plan to concentrate on the utilization of these strategies for the synthesis of new nanomaterials as an enabling tool for research in the fields of catalysis, imaging and plasmonic interactions. In particular catalysis through plasmonic interactions is a developing field with great potential to find new, energy efficient routes for the synthesis of organic materials. In addition to the "ensemble" level, we plan to explore the use of single-molecule-single-particle spectroscopic methods to examine the catalytic process. We are excited about the possibility of recording a single molecule arrive at a nano-catalytic site and depart after catalytic conversion. By studying the frequency and duration of these events we will acquire kinetic and mechanistic information that is unattainable by ensemble methods. This level of information will be particularly useful in the field of heterogeneous catalysis where a distribution of sizes and morphologies tends to be masked in ensemble studies. Plasmon processes can also trigger chemistry with exquisite spatial resolution (less than 10 nm) something that will be explored for a new type of self-assembled plasmonic nano-lasers, that could have major impact in nanophotonics and information technologies. Spatial resolution in photolithography is ultimately limited by the diffraction limit. We will explore the possibility of overcoming this physical barrier by inventing a new type of plasmonic lithography, as plasmon processes are not limited by diffraction.