Liquid-jet photoelectron spectroscopy of functionalised nanoparticles

Liquid-jet photoelectron spectroscopy is emerging as a valuable spectroscopic tool for studying chromophores
in aqueous solution. HHF has designed and built a unique liquid-jet photoelectron spectrometer
that recirculates small volumes of solution for studying bespoke or expensive samples (originally
designed for protein chromophores and proteins). Recent measurements of organic chromophores
in aqueous solution have shown that photoelectron spectroscopy is a particularly sensitive
technique for probing solvated electrons, more so than transient absorption spectroscopy. This
project will exploit this exciting capability to measure the electronic structure of functionalised gold
and titanium dioxide nanoparticles and, importantly, the timescales for formation of plasmon-induced
hot-electrons. Improving our detailed understanding of these processes is crucially important for the
design of more efficient conversion of solar energy in photovoltaic and photocatalytic devices based
on plasmonic energy conversion.