Transformation-optics-designed plasmonic singularities for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution at metal/semiconductor interfaces
File(s)acs.nanolett.3c01287.pdf (6.84 MB)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Inspired by transformation optics, we propose a new concept for plasmonic photocatalysis by creating a novel hybrid nanostructure with a plasmonic singularity. Our geometry enables broad and strong spectral light harvesting at the active site of a nearby semiconductor where the chemical reaction occurs. A proof-of-concept nanostructure comprising Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) and Au-Au dimer (t-CZTS@Au-Au) is fabricated via a colloidal strategy combining templating and seeded growth. On the basis of numerical and experimental results of different related hybrid nanostructures, we show that both the sharpness of the singular feature and the relative position to the reactive site play a pivotal role in optimizing photocatalytic activity. Compared with bare CZTS, the hybrid nanostructure (t-CZTS@Au-Au) exhibits an enhancement of the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate by up to ∼9 times. The insights gained from this work might be beneficial for designing efficient composite plasmonic photocatalysts for diverse photocatalytic reactions.
Date Issued
2023-06-14
Date Acceptance
2023-05-01
Citation
Nano Letters: a journal dedicated to nanoscience and nanotechnology, 2023, 23 (11), pp.5288-5296
ISSN
1530-6984
Publisher
American Chemical Society
Start Page
5288
End Page
5296
Journal / Book Title
Nano Letters: a journal dedicated to nanoscience and nanotechnology
Volume
23
Issue
11
Copyright Statement
© 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society. This work is published under a CC BY licence.
License URL
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37234018
Subjects
hybrid nanostructures
hydrogen evolution
photocatalysis
plasmonics
transformation optics
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
United States
Date Publish Online
2023-05-26