We propose the design, fabrication, characterization and implementation of a novel generation of ultracompact microfluidic devices enhanced by plasmonics. We aim to create a transdisciplinary framework that merges photocatalysis, plasmonics, microsystem technologies, microfluidics and lab-on-a-chip fields.

Plasmonic catalysis in microfluidics is an emerging research area with great growth potential. Plasmonically enhanced microreactors with their light harvesting and light localization capabilities allow for the efficient use of sunlight as an energy source in the synthesis of biologically valuable molecules. Our idea is to produce a single chip integrating plasmonic field-enhancing nanostructures into a photochemical microreactor that will be used for new methodological advances in the field of synthetic photochemical functionalizations of biologically active molecules.

Conceptualization and design will be done using ab initio numerical simulations, while microsystem (MEMS) technologies will be used to fabricate the microfluidic chips with plasmonic nanostructures (stochastic reliefs, metasurfaces and nanoparticles). A merger of organocatalysis and photoredox catalysis in conjunction with late stage C-H functionalizations will be explored in plasmonicaly enhanced microfluidic devices towards direct functionalization of biologically active molecules.

Combination of plasmonics and photoredox catalysis will reduce overall process costs and risks, decrease energy and material consumption and waste generation in accordance with sustainable development principles.