Tailoring the aluminum nanocrystal surface oxide for all-aluminum-based antenna-reactor plasmonic photocatalysts

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2321852121
• Publication Date: 2024-03-05T18:46:23Z
• Authors: Aaron Bayles; Catherine J. Fabiano; Chuqiao Shi; Lin Yuan; Yigao Yuan; Nolan Craft; Christian R. Jaco...; Parmeet Dhindsa; Adebola Ogundare; Yelsin Mendez Cam...; Banghao Chen; Hossein Robatjazi; Yimo Han; Geoffrey F. Strouse; Peter Nordlander; Henry O. Everitt; Naomi J. Halas
• Keywords: Physical Sciences; 02 engineering and technology; 0210 nano-technology

Aluminum nanocrystals (AlNCs) are of increasing interest as sustainable, earth-abundant nanoparticles for visible wavelength plasmonics and as versatile nanoantennas for energy-efficient plasmonic photocatalysis. Here, we show that annealing AlNCs under various gases and thermal conditions induces substantial, systematic changes in their surface oxide, modifying crystalline phase, surface morphology, density, and defect type and concentration. Tailoring the surface oxide properties enables AlNCs to function as all-aluminum-based antenna-reactor plasmonic photocatalysts, with the modified surface oxides providing varying reactivities and selectivities for several chemical reactions.