Patent ID: 7998538

Claim:
A method for facilitating catalytic chemical reactions utilizing Photon-Electron resonance derived localized heating, comprising: providing a substrate having disposed thereon at least one metal nanoparticle; introducing at least one reactant adjacent said metal nanoparticle at a proximal portion of the substrate, wherein said at least one reactant is a liquid; irradiating said metal nanoparticle with electromagnetic radiation, wherein said electromagnetic radiation has a predetermined frequency or range of frequencies and an energy of between about 0.5-4 eV; exciting at least a Photon-Electron resonance of said metal nanoparticle; providing localized heat, from said metal nanoparticle and as a result of said at least Photon-Electron resonance, at a catalytic chemical reaction temperature to facilitate at least one catalytic chemical reaction involving said least one reactant; generating at least one reaction product; and removing and recovering the at least one reaction product at a distal portion of the substrate.