Promoting Ni(II) Catalysis with Plasmonic Antennas

Plasmonic metal NPs such as Au and Ag are proven to channel visible-light photon energy to nearby metal complexes effectively and allow the conventional metal cationic catalysts to work at moderate temperatures under light irradiation. A key finding is that reactant molecules can be significantly concentrated at the active sites simply by light and thus increase the chance of activation. The merging of plasmonic antenna and metal cationic catalysis will be an inspiring strategy for designing efficient photocatalytic systems.