Rhodium Nanoparticles for Ultraviolet Plasmonics

TL;DR

This paper introduces rhodium nanoparticles for ultraviolet plasmonics, demonstrating their potential in enhancing Raman signals, fluorescence, and photocatalytic processes through local field enhancement and charge transfer.

Contribution

It presents a novel application of rhodium nanoparticles in ultraviolet plasmonics, including synthesis, characterization, and demonstration of enhanced spectroscopic and photocatalytic effects.

Findings

Rhodium nanoparticles exhibit a plasmon resonance near 330 nm.

Enhanced Raman spectra and fluorescence observed under UV illumination.

Evidence of plasmonically-enhanced ultraviolet photocatalysis.

Abstract

The non-oxidizing catalytic noble metal rhodium is introduced for ultraviolet plasmonics. Planar tripods of 8 nm Rh nanoparticles, synthesized by a modified polyol reduction method, have a calculated local surface plasmon resonance near 330 nm. By attaching p-aminothiophenol, local field-enhanced Raman spectra and accelerated photo-damage were observed under near-resonant ultraviolet illumination, while charge transfer simultaneously increased fluorescence for up to 13 minutes. The combined local field enhancement and charge transfer demonstrate essential steps toward plasmonically-enhanced ultraviolet photocatalysis.