Probing On-Surface Chemistry at the Nanoscale Using Tip-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

Abstract

Chemistry on solid surfaces is central to many re-search areas of practical interest, such as synthesis, catalysis, electrochemistry, photochemistry, and materials science. A comprehensive understanding of the nanoscale on-surface chemistry involved in these areas is important for establishing composi-tion-structure-performance relationships. With the rapid development of tip-enhanced Raman spectros-copy (TERS), it has become possible to investigate physical and chemical processes on suitable surfaces at the nanoscale level and in real space. In this review, after a brief introduction of the background of on-surface chemistry and TERS, we systematically dis-cuss the progress in the application of TERS in this field. Our focus is the applications of TERS to nano-scale coordination processes, decomposition reac-tions, polymerization processes, electrochemical reactions, catalytic chemistry, and functionalization chemistry on solid surfaces. We conclude by discuss-ing the future challenges and development of TERS techniques and related applications in on-surface chemistry.