Review of plasmon-induced hot-electron dynamics and related SERS chemical effects

The plasmonic enhancement of photochemistry and spectroscopy is of broad interest in chemistry, physics and engineering. Here, we review the fundamental processes and time scales associated with plasmonic excitation and decay processes, including studies of the interactions of plasmons with nearby molecules or semiconductor particles as involves energy and electron transfer between the two moieties. This work includes interactions that contribute to photovoltaic or photocatalytic processes and to the chemical enhancement mechanism in surface-enhanced Raman scattering. Understanding these processes is critical to the design of more efficient plasmon-enhanced devices and spectroscopic applications.