Unveiling the Solvent Effect in Plasmon Enhanced Electrochemistry via the Nanoparticle-Impact Technique

Plasmon-enhanced electrochemistry (PEEC) has been observed to facilitate energy conversion systems by converting light energy to chemical energy. However, comprehensively understanding the PEEC mechanism remains challenging due to the predominant use of ensemble-based methodologies on macroscopic electrodes, which fails to measure electron-transfer kinetics due to constraints from mass transport and the averaging effect. In this study, we have employed nanoparticle impact electrochemistry (NIE), a newly developed electroanalytical technique capable of measuring electrochemical dynamics at a single-nanoparticle level under optimal mass transport conditions, along with microscopic electron-transfer theory for data interpretation. By investigating the plasmon enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at individual silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), we have clearly revealed the previously unknown influence of solvent effects within the PEEC mechanism. This finding suggests an additional approach to optimize plasmon-assisted electrocatalysis and electrosynthesis systems.