Metal‐Semiconductor Heterostructures for Photoredox Catalysis: Where Are We Now and Where Do We Go?

Abstract

The ability of metal nanocrystals (NCs) to maneuver light, trap charge carriers, and enrich reactive sites for photoredox reactions has received considerable attention for constructing metal‐semiconductor heterostructures (MSHs) toward solar‐to‐chemical production. In this review, the comprehensive and fundamental understanding of the structure‐property‐catalysis interplays of MSHs is mainly described. The fundamentals, including basic concepts, and critical insights of MSH‐mediated photoredox catalysis, are first demonstrated. Particular focus is placed on the state‐of‐the‐art technological advances in monitoring the key photophysical/photochemical processes associated with MSH‐mediated photoredox catalysis, followed by highlighting the design parameters for high‐performance MSHs. Then, the applications of MSHs for solar energy conversion, especially for some emerging reaction types are discussed. This review is concluded by casting a perspective on the challenges as well as the opportunities for further promoting this burgeoning field.

Construction of Plasmonic Metal@Semiconductor Core–Shell Photocatalysts: From Epitaxial to Nonepitaxial Strategies

“…[ 31,39–43 ] In the last decade, a number of excellent reviews on plasmonic hybrid photocatalysts have been published, which detailedly interpret the mechanisms of plasmon‐enhanced photocatalysis as well as how to regulate the properties of materials toward different photocatalytic applications. [ 27,31–38,44–46 ] In this review, our effort is to outline the recent synthetic breakthroughs in fabrication and modulation of plasmonic metal@semiconductor core–shell photocatalysts, with particular emphasis on the mechanism of the synthetic process and the associating impacts on the crystallographic and physical properties of the resultant materials. The understanding in this scope provides importance in architecting the plasmonic hybrid nanostructured photocatalysts through promoting the synergistic interactions between plasmonic metal and semiconductor.…”

“…[26][27][28][29][30] The most appealing advantage of plasmonic metal@semiconductor core-shell photocatalysts exists in enhanced utilization of the unique localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of metal cores composed of Au, Ag, or Cu nanoparticles (NPs). [27,[31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38] Such plasmonic metal NPs show strong resonant behavior when interacting with ultraviolet (UV), visible, or near-infrared (NIR) photons via excitation of LSPR. This can amplify and concentrate the light energy at metal surface to be extracted by adjacent semiconductors in the form of resonant energy or electronic excitation for driving photocatalytic reactions.…”

“…[31,[39][40][41][42][43] In the last decade, a number of excellent reviews on plasmonic hybrid photocatalysts have been published, which detailedly interpret the mechanisms of plasmon-enhanced photocatalysis as well as how to regulate the properties of materials toward different photocatalytic applications. [27,[31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][44][45][46] In this review, our effort is to outline the recent synthetic breakthroughs in fabrication and modulation of plasmonic metal@semiconductor core-shell photocatalysts, with particular emphasis on the mechanism of the synthetic process and the associating impacts on the crystallographic and DOI: 10.1002/sstr.202200045…”

Electrostatic Field Enhanced Photocatalytic CO2 Conversion on BiVO4 Nanowires

“…As the key factor to determine the photocatalytic performance, an ideal photocatalyst should be stable and superior in light absorption and redox activity, which depends on the band structure. According to previous reports, an optimal band-gap for photocatalysis is about 2.0-2.4 eV [6][7][8]. Among the reported photocatalysts, metal oxides with narrow band-gap, such as BiVO 4 , Fe 2 O 3 , and WO 3 , meet the above requirements well.…”

Enhancing photoelectrochemical water splitting with plasmonic Au nanoparticles

“…An LSP oscillation decays after a few femtoseconds. 40 Fig. 4 exhibits the characteristic time scales of possible LSPR-induced processes in a plasmonic NP–semiconductor system.…”