Electrochemistry with plasmons

Plasmon-assisted electrochemistry offers a new approach to deploy light energy for activating or powering electroconversions of utility for the manufacturing of chemicals and fuels. Plasmonic excitation boosts and modulates electrochemical processes on plasmonic nanostructures. Nonthermal carriers produced by plasmonic excitation promote enhanced electrochemical reaction kinetics or even modes of electrocatalytic activity not typically accessible by thermal carriers. These effects can be exploited for making electroconversions energy efficient, more selective, and less reliant on large amounts of precious metals; however, several fundamental and practical issues remain to be assessed and overcome. We highlight recent examples of the incorporation of plasmons in electrochemical systems, mechanistic elucidation of different plasmonic effects, the expanding catalog of plasmon-assisted electroreactions, and research opportunities for the future.