Optical approaches in study of nanocatalysis with single-molecule and single-particle resolution

Studying the activity of individual nanocatalysts, especially with high spatiotemporal resolution of single-molecule and single-turnover scale, is essential for the understanding of catalytic mechanism and the designing of effective catalysts. Several approaches have been developed to monitor the catalytic reaction on single catalysts. In this review, we summarized the updated progresses of several new spectroscopic and microscopic approaches, including single-molecule fluorescence microscopy, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, surface plasmon resonance microscopy and X-ray microscopy, for the study of single-molecule and single-particle catalysis.