Plasmon‐Mediated Solar Energy Conversion via Photocatalysis in Noble Metal/Semiconductor Composites

Abstract

Plasmonics has remained a prominent and growing field over the past several decades. The coupling of various chemical and photo phenomenon has sparked considerable interest in plasmon‐mediated photocatalysis. Given plasmonic photocatalysis has only been developed for a relatively short period, considerable progress has been made in improving the absorption across the full solar spectrum and the efficiency of photo‐generated charge carrier separation. With recent advances in fundamental (i.e., mechanisms) and experimental studies (i.e., the influence of size, geometry, surrounding dielectric field, etc.) on plasmon‐mediated photocatalysis, the rational design and synthesis of metal/semiconductor hybrid nanostructure photocatalysts has been realized. This review seeks to highlight the recent impressive developments in plasmon‐mediated photocatalytic mechanisms (i.e., Schottky junction, direct electron transfer, enhanced local electric field, plasmon resonant energy transfer, and scattering and heating effects), summarize a set of factors (i.e., size, geometry, dielectric environment, loading amount and composition of plasmonic metal, and nanostructure and properties of semiconductors) that largely affect plasmonic photocatalysis, and finally conclude with a perspective on future directions within this rich field of research.

Surface Plasmonic‐Assisted Photocatalysis and Optoelectronic Devices with Noble Metal Nanocrystals: Design, Synthesis, and Applications

“…Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of noble metal nanostructured materials has recently fascinated a lot of attention in many fields, owing to their substantial electromagnetic field (EMF) enhancement and light‐scattering properties. SPR can be defined as the coherent oscillations of delocalized electrons that are excited by the electromagnetic field of incident light at the metal–dielectric interface . During the SPR processes, the metal nanostructures serve as waveguides interacting via direct light to the desired locations or as antennas to convert light to the localized electrical fields .…”

Photo‐assisted electrochemical hydrogen evolution by plasmonic Ag nanoparticle/nanorod heterogeneity

“…[6][7][8] Alternatively, the utilization of solar energy provides a new avenue to improve the catalytic properties by means of localized surface plasmonic resonance (LSPR) mechanism. [9][10][11] Photo-assisted plasmonic metal/semiconductor interfaces have been widely adopted in boosting the photocatalysis and photoelectrochemical reactions, [11][12][13] but rarely in water electrolysis for hydrogen generation. 14 Intrinsically, the plasmonic nanometal (eg, Ag) generates energetic charge carriers, namely hot electrons when the energy surpasses the level of the thermal excitations under light irradiation.…”

Au NPs@MoS2Sub-Micrometer Sphere-ZnO Nanorod Hybrid Structures for Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution with Excellent Stability

“…The conversion of solar energy to hydrogen by photocatalytic water splitting exhibits a potential and effective way to addressing the energy crisis. However, one of the key challenges is the development of efficient photocatalysts . Over the past several decades, considerable attempts have been undertaken to design and construct photocatalysis systems based on semiconductor materials such as metal oxides, sulfides, and oxynitrides .…”