Plasmonic imaging of surface electrochemical reactions of single gold nanowires

Nanomaterials have been widely used in energy and sensing applications because of their unique chemical and physical properties, especially their surface reactions. Measuring the local reactions of individual nanomaterials, however, has been an experimental challenge. Here we report on plasmonic imaging of surface electrochemical reactions of individual gold nanowires (AuNWs). We coated a gold thin film (plasmonic sensing layer) with a dielectric layer (Cytop) with refractive index close to that of water, and then a graphene layer for electrical contact. This design removed the interference from the sensing layer while preserving sharp surface plasmon resonance, which allowed us to obtain cyclic voltammograms of surface electrochemistry of individual AuNWs for the first time. We also investigated the difference in the electrochemical reactions of AuNWs and Au surfaces, and local distribution of electrochemical activities within a single AuNW.