To date, no any single semiconductor can achieve 10% of solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency. Formation of plasmonic metal-semiconductor composites is a promising route to improve the solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency. Gold nanoparticles can be assembled into the composite to improve the sunlight harvesting by the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect. Periodic gold nanostructures can enhance the sunlight absorption of semiconductors by the surface plasmon polariton (SPP) effect. The LSPR and SPP effects can transfer the plasmonic energy from the metal to the semiconductor via the photonic enhancement, the direct electron transfer or the plasmon-induced resonant energy transfer (PIRET) mechanisms, leading to charge separation in the semiconductor.

Plasmonic metal-semiconductor nanostructures for solar fuel generation

249th National Meeting (2015)

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