Plasmonic metal nanoparticles exhibit large dipole moments upon photoexcitation and have the potential to induce electronic transitions in nearby materials, but fast internal relaxation has to date limited the spatial range and efficiency of plasmonic mediated processes. In this work, we use photo-electrochemistry to synthesize a new type of nanomaterial: hybrid nanoantennas comprised of plasmonic nanoparticles with photoconductive polymer coatings. We demonstrate that the formation of the conductive polymer is selective to the nanoparticles and that polymerization is enhanced by photoexcitation. In situ spectroscopy and simulations support a mechanism in which up to 50% efficiency of non-radiative energy transfer is achieved. These nanoantennas combine the unmatched light harvesting properties of a plasmonic antenna with the similarly unmatched device processability of a polymer shell and represent and interesting class of hybrid nanomaterials for photocatalysis applications.

Plasmon energy transfer in hybrid nanoantennas

ACS Fall 2021

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