Conventional photocatalysis has largely focused on plasmonic nanoparticles, yet dielectric materials present exciting opportunities to enhance photochemical processes through optical resonances. Dielectric nanostructures like Si and TiO₂ support low-loss Mie resonances that improve light confinement, absorption, and energy transfer — all crucial for photocatalysis. Unlike plasmonic materials, which rely on free-electron oscillations, Mie resonances generate strong, localized electromagnetic multipole modes that can be precisely tuned by adjusting the nanostructure’s size and shape. This tunability makes dielectric nanostructures a powerful platform for controlling light-matter interactions and improving photon utilization.

Our team leverages Finite-Difference Time Domain (FDTD) modeling and precise nanofabrication to develop Mie-resonant nanoparticles. We have previously demonstrated that Mie-resonant nanoparticles exhibiting broadband multipolar scattering enhance photochemistry, demonstrating how engineered optical resonances can amplify catalytic activity.