Metallic Heterostructures for Plasmon‐Enhanced Electrocatalysis

Abstract

Metallic heterogeneous nanostructures with plasmonic functionality have attracted great attention in the field of plasmon‐enhanced electrocatalysis, where surface plasmons produced under light excitation could facilitate the overall electrocatalytic performances. Owing to their controllability, multifunctionality, and complexity, heterogeneous metallic nanostructures take advantages of the properties from individual components and synergistic effects from adjacent components, thus may achieve remarkable electrocatalytic performances. This review highlights the state‐of‐the‐art progress of the application of metallic heterostructures for plasmon‐enhanced electrocatalysis. First, a brief introduction to plasmonic heterogeneous nanostructures is demonstrated. Then, fundamental principles of localized surface plasmon resonance and the underlying mechanisms of plasmonic heterogeneous nanostructures in catalysis are discussed. This is followed by a discussion of recent advances of plasmonic heterogeneous nanostructures in plasmon‐enhanced electrocatalysis, in which the enhanced activity, selectivity, and stability are particularly emphasized. Finally, an outlook of remaining challenges and future opportunities for plasmonic heterogeneous nanomaterials and plasmon‐related electrocatalysis is presented.

Visible-Light-Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution through Anodic Furfural Electro-Oxidation Using Nickel Atomically Dispersed Copper Nanoparticles

“…The Cu 98 Ni 2 NPs exhibit the ability to absorb light of a specific energy level, leading to the creation of a resonance of surface electrons known as LSPR . LSPR has been utilized as a noncontact approach to enhance the reaction rates of various heterogeneous catalytic reactions by utilizing electromagnetic field enhancement, hot charge carriers, and photothermal effects. ,, To exploit the LSPR aspect of Cu 98 Ni 2 NPs, we conducted an investigation into the effect of light-triggered LSPR on the catalytic performance of anodic furfural electro-oxidation by irradiating the Cu 98 Ni 2 NPs with artificial visible light (380–780 nm, Figure S4). The linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) curves in Figure c indicate that the current densities of furfural electro-oxidation increased with the power density of the light source, from 1.9 mA/cm 2 in the dark (i.e., 0 mW/cm 2 ) to 3.6 mA/cm 2 at 50 mW/cm 2 , 4.1 mA/cm 2 at 100 mW/cm 2 , and 4.7 mA/cm 2 at 200 mW/cm 2 .…”

“…Copper has long been recognized for its exceptional thermal and electrical conductivity. , Its unique surface electronic properties, particularly those that manifest under the influence of light, have established it as a renowned plasmonic metal . The availability of sunlight is of some significance in Cu-catalyzed chemical reactions, as it can be utilized to promote the reactions photochemically. , The catalytic processes of numerous reactions, including HER under light irradiation, are enhanced by the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of Cu nanostructures. − However, the potential of LSPR-assisted catalysis in anodic hydrogen production from aldehyde oxidation has remained unexplored.…”

Quantification and description of photothermal heating effects in plasmon-assisted electrochemistry

“…Also of interest is that chemical transformations on plasmonic electrode materials can utilize both the hot electrons and hot holes, a distinct advantage over semiconductor photoelectrodes which typically serve as either photoanodes or photocathodes (i.e., n-type or p-type). Despite low quantum efficiencies for charge carrier extraction in plasmonic materials, nontrivial enhancements to reaction rates and apparent modulation in reaction selectivity have been reported 1 – 7 .…”

Probing local charge transfer processes of Pt–Au heterodimers in plasmon-enhanced electrochemistry by CO stripping techniques

“…10–12 One key strategy to enhance the performance of plasmon-enhanced catalysis is the construction of heterostructures, wherein materials with distinct energy level differences are selectively chosen to enable the migration of hot electrons to adjacent components. 13,14 This phenomenon prolongs the lifetime of hot carriers and enhances the efficiency of the catalytic processes, making it a highly desirable approach for solar energy conversion. 9,15…”