Public Abstract

DE-SC0025941: Ultrafast dynamics of core-shell nanoparticle photocatalysts

Award Status: Active

Institution: Chapman University, Orange, CA
UEI: EN9DMTETW3N1
DUNS: 072528433

Most Recent Award Date: 08/11/2025
Number of Support Periods: 1
PM: Bradley, Christopher

Current Budget Period: 05/01/2025 - 04/30/2026
Current Project Period: 05/01/2025 - 04/30/2028
PI: LaRue, Jerry

Supplement Budget Period: N/A

Public Abstract

Catalysts play a critical and ubiquitous role in industry, being used to produce liquid fuels, synthesize fertilizers, manufacture plastics, and minimize combustion-engine pollution. They accomplish these tasks by providing alternative paths for reactions that are more efficient. However, many catalysts fail to meet today’s industrial demands, often due to limitations in their design or the prohibitive cost of rare or complex materials. This has driven the search for innovative catalyst designs. Among the promising candidates are gold nanoparticles, which have gained attention due to their ability to harness light energy to facilitate chemical reactions. These nanoparticles have the potential to overcome some of the material limitations that hinder traditional catalysts and are relatively simple to synthesize, making them attractive for further research. However, their application is currently confined to a small range of reactions, limiting their broader use. The aim of this research is to broaden the scope of gold nanoparticle catalysts by modifying their chemical properties through the encapsulation of a thin shell of another metal, creating core-shell structures. This modification could enable the nanoparticles to catalyze a wider range of reactions that are activated by light. The research objectives include the design, synthesis, and characterization of these core-shell nanoparticle catalysts; benchmarking the light-induced chemistry facilitated by the nanoparticles; and probing the fundamental chemical processes occurring on their surfaces. Understanding these processes is crucial for designing tunable and efficient light-activated core-shell nanoparticle catalysts. By broadening the range of reactions gold nanoparticles can catalyze, this research holds potential for advancing more sustainable and cost-effective catalytic solutions. The development of versatile, light-responsive catalysts could reduce the need for rare materials, lower energy consumption in industrial processes, and contribute to technologies in fields ranging from energy production to environmental remediation. The findings of this research may offer a pathway toward more innovative and scalable applications, paving the way for more sustainable, cost-effective solutions across a range of industries. Ultrafast dynamics of core-shell nanoparticle photocatalysts Jerry LaRue, Associate Professor Co-PI(s): Tony Heinz, Hirohito Ogasawara, Johannes Voss 1. Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866 2. SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025 Catalysts play a critical and ubiquitous role in industry, being used to produce liquid fuels, synthesize fertilizers, manufacture plastics, and minimize combustion-engine pollution. They accomplish these tasks by providing alternative paths for reactions that are more efficient. However, many catalysts fail to meet today’s industrial demands, often due to limitations in their design or the prohibitive cost of rare or complex materials. This has driven the search for innovative catalyst designs. Among the promising candidates are gold nanoparticles, which have gained attention due to their ability to harness light energy to facilitate chemical reactions. These nanoparticles have the potential to overcome some of the material limitations that hinder traditional catalysts and are relatively simple to synthesize, making them attractive for further research. However, their application is currently confined to a limited range of reactions, limiting their broader use. The aim of this research is to broaden the scope of gold nanoparticle catalysts by modifying their chemical properties through the encapsulation of a thin shell of another metal, creating core-shell structures. This modification could enable the nanoparticles to catalyze a wider range of reactions that are activated by light. The research objectives include the design, synthesis, and characterization of these core-shell nanoparticle catalysts; benchmarking the light-induced chemistry facilitated by the nanoparticles; and probing the fundamental chemical processes occurring on their surfaces. Understanding these processes is crucial for designing tunable and efficient light-activated core-shell nanoparticle catalysts. By broadening the range of reactions gold nanoparticles can catalyze, this research holds potential for advancing more sustainable and cost-effective catalytic solutions. The development of versatile, light-responsive catalysts could reduce the need for rare materials, lower energy consumption in industrial processes, and contribute to technologies in fields ranging from energy production to environmental remediation. The findings of this research may offer a pathway toward more innovative and scalable applications, paving the way for more sustainable, cost-effective solutions across a range of industries.

Catalysts play a critical and ubiquitous role in industry, being used to produce liquid fuels, synthesize fertilizers, manufacture plastics, and minimize combustion-engine pollution. They accomplish these tasks by providing alternative paths for reactions that are more efficient. However, many catalysts fail to meet today’s industrial demands, often due to limitations in their design or the prohibitive cost of rare or complex materials. This has driven the search for innovative catalyst designs. Among the promising candidates are gold nanoparticles, which have gained attention due to their ability to harness light energy to facilitate chemical reactions. These nanoparticles have the potential to overcome some of the material limitations that hinder traditional catalysts and are relatively simple to synthesize, making them attractive for further research. However, their application is currently confined to a small range of reactions, limiting their broader use. The aim of this research is to broaden the scope of gold nanoparticle catalysts by modifying their chemical properties through the encapsulation of a thin shell of another metal, creating core-shell structures. This modification could enable the nanoparticles to catalyze a wider range of reactions that are activated by light. The research objectives include the design, synthesis, and characterization of these core-shell nanoparticle catalysts; benchmarking the light-induced chemistry facilitated by the nanoparticles; and probing the fundamental chemical processes occurring on their surfaces. Understanding these processes is crucial for designing tunable and efficient light-activated core-shell nanoparticle catalysts. By broadening the range of reactions gold nanoparticles can catalyze, this research holds potential for advancing more sustainable and cost-effective catalytic solutions. The development of versatile, light-responsive catalysts could reduce the need for rare materials, lower energy consumption in industrial processes, and contribute to technologies in fields ranging from energy production to environmental remediation. The findings of this research may offer a pathway toward more innovative and scalable applications, paving the way for more sustainable, cost-effective solutions across a range of industries.

Ultrafast dynamics of core-shell nanoparticle photocatalysts

Jerry LaRue, Associate Professor

Co-PI(s): Tony Heinz, Hirohito Ogasawara, Johannes Voss

1. Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866

2. SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025

Catalysts play a critical and ubiquitous role in industry, being used to produce liquid fuels, synthesize fertilizers, manufacture plastics, and minimize combustion-engine pollution. They accomplish these tasks by providing alternative paths for reactions that are more efficient. However, many catalysts fail to meet today’s industrial demands, often due to limitations in their design or the prohibitive cost of rare or complex materials. This has driven the search for innovative catalyst designs. Among the promising candidates are gold nanoparticles, which have gained attention due to their ability to harness light energy to facilitate chemical reactions. These nanoparticles have the potential to overcome some of the material limitations that hinder traditional catalysts and are relatively simple to synthesize, making them attractive for further research. However, their application is currently confined to a limited range of reactions, limiting their broader use. The aim of this research is to broaden the scope of gold nanoparticle catalysts by modifying their chemical properties through the encapsulation of a thin shell of another metal, creating core-shell structures. This modification could enable the nanoparticles to catalyze a wider range of reactions that are activated by light. The research objectives include the design, synthesis, and characterization of these core-shell nanoparticle catalysts; benchmarking the light-induced chemistry facilitated by the nanoparticles; and probing the fundamental chemical processes occurring on their surfaces. Understanding these processes is crucial for designing tunable and efficient light-activated core-shell nanoparticle catalysts. By broadening the range of reactions gold nanoparticles can catalyze, this research holds potential for advancing more sustainable and cost-effective catalytic solutions. The development of versatile, light-responsive catalysts could reduce the need for rare materials, lower energy consumption in industrial processes, and contribute to technologies in fields ranging from energy production to environmental remediation. The findings of this research may offer a pathway toward more innovative and scalable applications, paving the way for more sustainable, cost-effective solutions across a range of industries.