Research in the Willets Lab
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Plasmonic nanoparticles generate strongly enhanced electromagnetic fields at specific regions on their surface, known as “hot spots.” We use correlated super-resolution surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) imaging and electron microscopy to probe these hot spots with <10 nm resolution. Self-assembly of ligands on nanoparticle surfaces is often assumed to produce homogemous ligand monolayers with uniform spacing that follows the original solution stoichiometry. We use correlated super-resolution fluorescence imaging and atomic force microscopy to reveal the heterogeneity of ligand binding at the single molecule, single nanoparticle level. |
The excitation of surface plasmons in noble metal nano-electrodes can increase the efficiency or lower the energy barriers of electrochemical reactions. We use a variety of electrochemical and optical techniques, including SERS, fluorescence, and electrogenerated chemi-luminescence, to study electrochemical reactions on the surface of single plasmonic nanoparticle electrodes. Working with a multi-university team of electrochemists and spectroscopists, we are working to develop new techniques for studying electrochemical reactions at the nanoscale based on coupling optical microscopy with electrochemical techniques such as scanning electrochemical microscopy. |
