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Controlling the Selectivity of the Surface Plasmon Resonance Mediated Oxidation of p ‐Aminothiophenol on Au Nanoparticles by Charge Transfer from UV‐excited TiO 2
Author(s) -
Wang Jiale,
Ando Romulo A.,
Camargo Pedro H. C.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
angewandte chemie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1521-3757
pISSN - 0044-8249
DOI - 10.1002/ange.201502077
Subject(s) - selectivity , catalysis , surface plasmon resonance , photochemistry , nanoparticle , excited state , chemistry , materials science , nanotechnology , organic chemistry , physics , nuclear physics
Although catalytic processes mediated by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) excitation have emerged as a new frontier in catalysis, the selectivity of these processes remains poorly understood. Here, the selectivity of the SPR‐mediated oxidation of p ‐aminothiophenol (PATP) employing Au NPs as catalysts was controlled by the choice of catalysts (Au or TiO 2 ‐Au NPs) and by the modulation of the charge transfer from UV‐excited TiO 2 to Au. When Au NPs were employed as catalyst, the SPR‐mediated oxidation of PATP yielded p , p ‐dimercaptobenzene (DMAB). When TiO 2 ‐Au NPs were employed as catalysts under both UV illumination and SPR excitation, p ‐nitrophenol (PNTP) was formed from PATP in a single step. Interestingly, PNTP molecules were further reduced to DMAB after the UV illumination was removed. Our data show that control over charge‐transfer processes may play an important role to tune activity, product formation, and selectivity in SPR‐mediated catalytic processes.