In situ monitoring of Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction by using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy on a bifunctional Au-Pd nanocoronal film

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), a powerful surface vibrational spectroscopic technique, is ideally suited for in situ monitoring the chemical transformations occurred at surfaces and/or interfaces. For in situ SERS monitoring, a platform integrated both plasmonic and catalytic activity is a prerequisite. Here, we fabricate a bifunctional Au-Pd nanocoronal film for in situ SERS monitoring Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction. This excellent bifunctional substrate leads to the coupling of high catalytic activity with a strong SERS effect at the center of two adjacent Au cores and shows fine reproducibility and stability of SERS signals. During investigating the Suzuki reaction with in situ SERS, we found two distinct catalytic kinetic processes resulted from two disparate catalytic sites on a Au-Pd nanocoronal. Comparing with conventional analytical techniques, this work provides a novel approach for studying Suzuki reactions at surfaces and/or interfaces with in situ SERS.