Lin Yuan

All Publications

• Atomic-Scale Moiré and Electronic Structure Analysis of Twisted Epitaxial MoS2-Au-MoS2 Heterostructures. Nano letters Cui, Y., Xu, K., Ren, P., Yuan, L., Czaja, P., Barnum, A., Sarkar, P., Altman, A., Bustillo, K., Kundu, S., Ramdas, A., Wang, X., Wan, G., Wang, Y., Wang, J., Song, C., Lim, C., Zheng, Q., Yao, H., Heinz, T., Hwang, H. Y., Majumdar, A., Dionne, J. A., Ophus, C., da Jornada, F. H., Sinclair, R., Cui, Y. 2026

  Abstract

  Twisted epitaxy enables precise orientation control of nanostructures confined within van der Waals (vdW) gaps. Here, we investigate the moiré and electronic structure of a representative twisted epitaxial system, where Au nanodiscs are grown inside twisted bilayer MoS2 with a 6° interlayer twist, inducing a 3° symmetrical misalignment of Au relative to each MoS2 layer (MoS2-Au-MoS2). Using multislice electron ptychography (MEP), we resolve the three-dimensional "moiré-of-moirés" structure of MoS2-Au-MoS2 with atomic resolution. Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) shows that MoS2 encapsulation significantly reduces the plasmon energy of Au nanodiscs compared with their unencapsulated counterparts. Furthermore, first-principles calculations reveal that Au insertion alters the electronic band alignment near the Fermi level of bilayer MoS2. Our results introduce a twisted MoS2-Au-MoS2 heterostructure as a structurally and electronically rich material system and establish twisted epitaxy as a new strategy for moiré engineering and the synthesis of 2D-confined materials with tunable optoelectronic properties.

  View details for DOI 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5c04205

  View details for PubMedID 41705938

• Atmospheric-pressure ammonia synthesis on AuRu catalysts enabled by plasmon-controlled hydrogenation and nitrogen-species desorption NATURE ENERGY Yuan, L., Bourgeois, B. B., Begin, E., Zhang, Y., Dai, A. X., Cheng, Z., Mckeown-Green, A. S., Xue, Z., Cui, Y., Xu, K., Wang, Y., Jones, M. R., Majumdar, A., Bao, J., Dionne, J. A. 2025

  View details for DOI 10.1038/s41560-025-01911-9

  View details for Web of Science ID 001632097400001

• Integrative Approaches to Reveal Catalyst Dynamics: Bridging Operando Techniques, Theory, and Artificial Intelligence. ACS nano Lee, T. H., Lee, S., Yuan, L., Dionne, J. A., Park, J. 2025

  Abstract

  Catalysts operate under complex conditions that require sophisticated approaches to understand their dynamics. This perspective outlines advances in experimental operando techniques, theoretical approaches, and machine learning (ML)-based data analysis to elucidate catalyst dynamics and improve the next-generation catalyst design. We first survey operando techniques, spanning electron microscopy, X-ray spectroscopy, and vibrational spectroscopy, that capture catalyst dynamics under operating conditions. We then discuss how operando observations integrate with and inform theoretical models, creating an iterative feedback loop between experiment and computation. Finally, we highlight how advanced data analysis, especially ML, enables the interpretation of high-dimensional operando data sets and can even inform catalyst design. Together, these synergetic approaches provide a unified framework for probing catalyst function and accelerating the rational design of efficient, durable catalytic systems for sustainable chemical manufacturing.

  View details for DOI 10.1021/acsnano.5c10976

  View details for PubMedID 41099495

• Enhancing Catalyst Stability with Plasmonic Hot Carriers for Nitrous Oxide Decomposition, Carbon Monoxide Oxidation, and Steam Methane Reforming ACS ENERGY LETTERS Yuan, Y., Deneen, S., Bayles, A., Yuan, L., Lou, M., Dhindsa, P., Ahmad, A., Chung, S., Robatjazi, H., Nordlander, P., Halas, N. J. 2025

  View details for DOI 10.1021/acsenergylett.5c01624

  View details for Web of Science ID 001541672400001

• Catalight-An Open-Source Automated Photocatalytic Reactor Package Illustrated through Plasmonic Acetylene Hydrogenation JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY A Bourgeois, B. B., Dai, A. X., Carlin, C. C., Yuan, L., Al-Zubeidi, A., Cheng, W., Swearer, D. F., Dionne, J. A. 2025: 6170-6178

  Abstract

  An open-source and modular Python package, Catalight, is developed and demonstrated to automate (photo)catalysis measurements. (Photo)catalysis experiments require studying several parameters to evaluate performance, including the temperature, gas flow rate and composition, illumination power, and spectral profile. Catalight orchestrates measurements over this complicated parameter space and systematically stores, analyzes, and visualizes the results. To showcase the capabilities of Catalight, we perform an automated apparent activation barrier measurement of acetylene hydrogenation over a plasmonic AuPd catalyst on an Al2O3 support, simultaneously varying laser power, wavelength, and temperature in a multiday experiment controlled by a simple Python script. Our chemical results unexpectedly show an increased activation barrier upon light excitation, contrary to previous findings for other plasmonic reactions and catalysts. We show that the reaction rate order with respect to both acetylene and hydrogen remains unchanged upon illumination, suggesting that molecular surface coverage is not changed by light. By analyzing the inhomogeneity of the laser-induced heating, we attribute these results to a partial photothermal effect combined with a photochemical/hot electron-driven mechanism. Our findings highlight the capabilities of a new experiment automation tool; explore the photocatalytic mechanism for an industrially relevant reaction; and identify systematic sources of error in canonical photocatalysis experimental procedures.

  View details for DOI 10.1021/acs.jpca.5c02883

  View details for Web of Science ID 001520256300001

  View details for PubMedID 40583445

• Light-Driven Dehydrogenation of Propane Using Plasmonic Al@TiO₂ Core-Shell Nanoparticles with Pt Single Atoms and Clusters ACS ENERGY LETTERS Dhindsa, P., Marino, S., Ahrens, A., Craft, N., Yuan, Y., Yuan, L., Ahmad, A., Bayles, A., Robatjazi, H., Christopher, P., Nordlander, P., Halas, N. J. 2024

  View details for DOI 10.1021/acsenergylett.4c02714

  View details for Web of Science ID 001368379100001

• Tailoring the aluminum nanocrystal surface oxide for all- aluminum- based antenna- reactor plasmonic photocatalysts PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Bayles, A., Fabiano, C. J., Shi, C., Yuan, L., Yuan, Y., Craft, N., Jacobson, C. R., Dhindsa, P., Ogundare, A., Camacho, Y., Chen, B., Robatjazi, H., Han, Y., Strouse, G. F., Nordlander, P., Everit, H. O., Halas, N. J. 2024; 121 (11): e2321852121

  Abstract

  Aluminum nanocrystals (AlNCs) are of increasing interest as sustainable, earth-abundant nanoparticles for visible wavelength plasmonics and as versatile nanoantennas for energy-efficient plasmonic photocatalysis. Here, we show that annealing AlNCs under various gases and thermal conditions induces substantial, systematic changes in their surface oxide, modifying crystalline phase, surface morphology, density, and defect type and concentration. Tailoring the surface oxide properties enables AlNCs to function as all-aluminum-based antenna-reactor plasmonic photocatalysts, with the modified surface oxides providing varying reactivities and selectivities for several chemical reactions.

  View details for DOI 10.1073/pnas.2321852121

  View details for Web of Science ID 001208974000007

  View details for PubMedID 38442156

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC10945844

• A Quasi-Bound States in the Continuum Dielectric Metasurface-Based Antenna-Reactor Photocatalyst. Nano letters Yuan, L., Zhao, Y., Toma, A., Aglieri, V., Gerislioglu, B., Yuan, Y., Lou, M., Ogundare, A., Alabastri, A., Nordlander, P., Halas, N. J. 2024; 24 (1): 172-179

  Abstract

  Metasurfaces are a class of two-dimensional artificial resonators, creating new opportunities for strong light-matter interactions. One type of nonradiative optical metasurface that enables substantial light concentration is based on quasi-Bound States in the Continuum (quasi-BIC). Here we report the design and fabrication of a quasi-BIC dielectric metasurface that serves as an optical frequency antenna for photocatalysis. By depositing Ni nanoparticle reactors onto the metasurface, we create an antenna-reactor photocatalyst, where the virtually lossless metasurface funnels light to drive a chemical reaction. This quasi-BIC-Ni antenna-reactor drives H2 dissociation under resonant illumination, showing strong polarization, wavelength, and optical power dependencies. Both E-field-induced electronic and photothermal heating effects drive the reaction, supported by load-dependent reactivity studies and our theoretical model. This study unlocks new opportunities for photocatalysis that employ dielectric metasurfaces for light harvesting in an antenna-reactor format.

  View details for DOI 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c03585

  View details for PubMedID 38156648

• Linking Atomic and Reactor Scale Plasmon Photocatalysis in Acetylene Hydrogenation with Optically Coupled ETEM. Microscopy and microanalysis : the official journal of Microscopy Society of America, Microbeam Analysis Society, Microscopical Society of Canada Bourgeois, B., Carlin, C., Angell, D., Swearer, D., Cheng, W. H., Dai, A., Yuan, L., Dionne, J. 2023; 29 (Supplement_1): 1298-1299

  View details for DOI 10.1093/micmic/ozad067.664

  View details for PubMedID 37613409

• Sustainable chemistry with plasmonic photocatalysts NANOPHOTONICS Yuan, L., Bourgeois, B. B., Carlin, C. C., da Jornada, F. H., Dionne, J. A. 2023

  View details for DOI 10.1515/nanoph-2023-0149

  View details for Web of Science ID 000998563800001

• Plasmonic Photocatalysis with Chemically and Spatially Specific Antenna-Dual Reactor Complexes ACS NANO Yuan, L., Zhou, J., Zhang, M., Wen, X., Martirez, J. P., Robatjazi, H., Zhou, L., Carter, E. A., Nordlander, P., Halas, N. J. 2022: 17365-17375

  Abstract

  Plasmonic antenna-reactor photocatalysts have been shown to convert light efficiently to chemical energy. Virtually all chemical reactions mediated by such complexes to date, however, have involved relatively simple reactions that require only a single type of reaction site. Here, we investigate a planar Al nanodisk antenna with two chemically distinct and spatially separated active sites in the form of Pd and Fe nanodisks, fabricated in 90° and 180° trimer configurations. The photocatalytic reactions H2 + D2 → 2HD and NH3 + D2 → NH2D + HD were both investigated on these nanostructured complexes. While the H2-D2 exchange reaction showed an additive behavior for the linear (180°) nanodisk complex, the NH3 + D2 reaction shows a clear synergistic effect of the position of the reactor nanodisks relative to the central Al nanodisk antenna. This study shows that light-driven chemical reactions can be performed with both chemical and spatial control of the specific reaction steps, demonstrating precisely designed antennas with multiple reactors for tailored control of chemical reactions of increasing complexity.

  View details for DOI 10.1021/acsnano.2c08191

  View details for Web of Science ID 000866432500001

  View details for PubMedID 36201312

• Al@TiO2 Core-Shell Nanoparticles for Plasmonic Photocatalysis ACS NANO Bayles, A., Tian, S., Zhou, J., Yuan, L., Yuan, Y., Jacobson, C. R., Farr, C., Zhang, M., Swearer, D. F., Solti, D., Lou, M., Everitt, H. O., Nordlander, P., Halas, N. J. 2022; 16 (4): 5839-5850

  Abstract

  Plasmon-induced photocatalysis is a topic of rapidly increasing interest, due to its potential for substantially lowering reaction barriers and temperatures and for increasing the selectivity of chemical reactions. Of particular interest for plasmonic photocatalysis are antenna-reactor nanoparticles and nanostructures, which combine the strong light-coupling of plasmonic nanostructures with reactors that enhance chemical specificity. Here, we introduce Al@TiO2 core-shell nanoparticles, combining earth-abundant Al nanocrystalline cores with TiO2 layers of tunable thickness. We show that these nanoparticles are active photocatalysts for the hot electron-mediated H2 dissociation reaction as well as for hot hole-mediated methanol dehydration. The wavelength dependence of the reaction rates suggests that the photocatalytic mechanism is plasmonic hot carrier generation with subsequent transfer of the hot carriers into the TiO2 layer. The Al@TiO2 antenna-reactor provides an earth-abundant solution for the future design of visible-light-driven plasmonic photocatalysts.

  View details for DOI 10.1021/acsnano.1c10995

  View details for Web of Science ID 000813107000001

  View details for PubMedID 35293740