Our lab is currently interested in investigating dilute plasmonic alloys. These nanomaterials combine strong plasmonic host metals (like Cu, Ag, and Au) with low concentrations of transition metal dopants from the iron and platinum group. Often, our experiments are conducted in the regime where the dopant atoms are isolated at the single-atom level. Our group is making progress toward a fundamental understanding of this emerging class of photocatalytic materials by studying their synthesis, stability under operating conditions, and how energy transfers from plasmonic nanoparticles into isolated active sites and eventually into the molecules adsorbed on their surface. There is still much to learn about the basic science of plasmonic photochemistry and what types of important problems they may help solve.

Plasmonic photocatalysts have already shown impressive versatility for enhancing catalytic transformations and are in the early stages of commercialization. Our group is particularly interested in using plasmonic photocatalysts for reactions such as those that promote carbon dioxide conversion, ammonia synthesis, hydrogen evolution, and the valorization of abundant small molecules like light alkanes and biomass.