In situ Nanoplasmonic Optical Calorimetry of Size Effects in a Catalytic Reaction

We demonstrate the use of a novel plasmonics-based optical nanocalorimetry method to investigate the catalyst particle size dependence of the H₂+1/2 O₂-> H₂0 reaction for Pt on SiO₂. The apparent activation energy increases with decreasing particle size, with a possible maximum for particles with an average diameter of 3.2 nm.