Plasmonic metal nanostructures have been incorporated into semiconductors to enhance the solar-light harvesting and energy-conversion efficiency. So far mechanism of energy transfer from plasmonic remains unclear. Herein underlying energy-transfer is unambiguously determined in Au@SiO(2)@Cu(2)O sandwich by transient-absorption photocatalysis action spectrum measurement. The gold core converts incident photons localized surface plasmon resonance oscillations transfers Cu(2)O semiconductor...

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is a promising candidate for solar hydrogen generation but it alone has negligible photocatalytic activity. In this work, 5–20 nm sized p-type MoS2 nanoplatelets are deposited on the n-type nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (n-rGO) nanosheets to form multiple nanoscale p–n junctions in each rGO nanosheet. The p-MoS2/n-rGO heterostructure shows significant activity toward evolution reaction (HER) wavelength range from ultraviolet light through near-infrared...

This paper presents a sandwich-structured CdS-Au-TiO2 nanorod array as the photoanode in photoelectrochemical cell (PEC) for hydrogen generation via splitting water. The gold nanoparticles sandwiched between TiO2 and CdS quantum dot (QD) layer play dual role enhancing solar-to-chemical energy conversion efficiency. First, Au serve an electron relay, which facilitates charge transfer when QDs are photoexcited by wavelengths shorter than 525 nm. Second, act plasmonic photosensitizer, enables...

Compared to pristine Cu2O nanoparticles (NPs), Ag@Cu2O core-shell NPs exhibit photocatalytic activity over an extended wavelength range because of the presence localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) in Ag core. The photocatalysis action spectra and transient absorption measurements show that plasmonic energy is transferred from metal semiconductor via plasmon-induced resonant transfer (PIRET) direct electron (DET) simultaneously, generating electron–hole pairs semiconductor. LSPR band...

The peak fluorescence emission of conventional fluorophores such as organic dyes and inorganic quantum dots is independent the excitation wavelength. In contrast, position graphene oxide (GO) in a polar solvent heavily dependent on present work has discovered that strong wavelength GO originated from "giant red-edge effect", which breaks Kasha's rule. When sheets are solvent, solvation dynamics slow down to same time scale due local environment sheet. Consequently, broadens red-shifts up 200...

A three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical plasmonic nano-architecture has been designed for a sensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) immunosensor protein biomarker detection. The capture antibody molecules are immobilized on gold triangle nanoarray pattern. On the other hand, detection linked to nanostar@Raman reporter@silica sandwich nanoparticles. When biomarkers present, nanoparticles captured over nanoarray, forming confined 3D field, leading enhanced electromagnetic field in...

Plasmonics allows extraordinary control of light, making it attractive for application in solar energy harvesting. In metal-semiconductor heterojunctions, plasmons can enhance photoconversion the semiconductor via three mechanisms, including light trapping, hot electron/hole transfer, and plasmon-induced resonance transfer (PIRET). To understand plasmonic enhancement, metal's geometry, constituent metal, interface must be viewed terms effects on plasmon's dephasing decay route. simplify...

The photocatalytic water oxidation activity of hematite (α-Fe2O3) has been greatly enhanced by incorporating nanoparticles on the reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets. Photoelectrochemical measurement results show that coupling with rGO increases photocurrent and reduces charge recombination rate. Transient absorption spectroscopy time-domain terahertz have provided direct evidence photogenerated electrons transferred as mobile carriers from α-Fe2O3 to rGO, which enhances separation...

Plasmonic metals can excite charge carriers in semiconductors through plasmon-induced resonance energy transfer (PIRET) and hot electron injection processes. Transient absorption spectroscopy reveals that the presence of separation mechanisms metal@TiO2 core–shell nanoparticles be controlled by tailoring spectral overlap physical contact between metal semiconductor. In Ag@SiO2@TiO2 sandwich nanoparticles, localized surface plasmon band is overlapped with edge TiO2, enabling PIRET, while SiO2...

Chemically modified graphene oxide (GO) sheets exhibit three "fingerprinting" photoluminescent (PL) peaks, which originate from the σ* → n, π* π and n electronic transitions between antibonding bonding molecular orbitals. The PL peaks are associated with C–OH, aromatic CC CO functional groups in GO sheets, respectively. relative intensities of modulated by varying oxygen-containing groups. emission a red-shift an increase excitation wavelength. difference peak wavelength shows constant...

Previous studies have shown that hydrogen treatment leads to the formation of blue black TiO2, which exhibits photocatalytic activity different from white pristine TiO2. However, underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. Herein, density functional theory is combined with comprehensive analytical approaches such as X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy and transient gain fundamental understanding correlation among oxygen vacancy, electronic band structure, charge separation,...

This Letter deals with the effect of particle size on energy transfer from CdSe/ZnS quantum dots to proximal gold nanoparticles different sizes. The 3 nm sized have negligible localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) absorption and quench fluorescence emission a 1/d4 distance-dependence, indicating nanometal (NSET) mechanism. 15 80 strong LSPR bands that overlap band dots. efficiency depends 1/d6 separation distance, which is dominated by dipole–dipole interaction according Förster (FRET)....

To meet the requirement of Raman probes (labels) for biocompatible applications, a synthetic approach has been developed to sandwich Raman-probe (malachite green isothiocyanate, MGITC) molecules between gold core and silica shell in gold-SiO₂ composite nanoparticles. The gold-MGITC-SiO₂ sandwiched structure not only prevents probe from leaking out but also improves solubility nanoparticles organic solvents aqueous solutions even with high ionic strength. amplify signal, three types core,...

Abstract Understanding excited carrier dynamics in semiconductors is crucial for the development of photovoltaics and efficient photonic devices. However, overlapping spectral features optical pump-probe spectroscopy often render assignments separate electron hole ambiguous. Here, ultrafast germanium nanocrystalline thin films are directly simultaneously observed by transient absorption extreme ultraviolet at M 4,5 edge. We decompose spectra into contributions electronic state blocking...

The sensitivity and the limit of detection Raman sensors are limited by extremely small scattering cross section labels. Silver nanorice antennae coupled with a patterned gold triangle nanoarray chip to create spatially broadened plasmonic "hot spots", which enables large density labels experience strong local electromagnetic field. Finite difference time domain simulations have confirmed that quasi-periodic structure increases intensity area surface plasmon resonance (SPR), enhances...

This report shows that incorporating nitrogen-doped La2Ti2O7 (NLTO) photocatalyst with gold nanoparticles and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets improves the photocatalytic hydrogen generation rate significantly. The underlying mechanism of photocatalysis enhancement by presence both Au rGO is revealed. Nitrogen doping alone can extend light absorption range to 550 nm. In addition, nitrogen has enabled plasmon-induced resonance energy transfer (PIRET) from plasmonic nanoparticle NLTO,...

A surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) biosensor has been developed by incorporating a gold nanohole array with SERS probe (a nanostar@Raman-reporter@silica sandwich structure) into single detection platform via DNA hybridization, which circumvents the nanoparticle aggregation and inefficient issues. Strong plasmonic coupling between Au nanostar results in large enhancement of electromagnetic field, leading to amplification signal. The sensor used detect Ag(I) Hg(II) ions human saliva...

The wide plasmonic tuning range of nanotriangle and nanohole array patterns fabricated by nanosphere lithography makes them promising in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensors.

Solar energy can be directly converted to electrical via photovoltaics. Alternatively, solar and stored in chemical fuels through photoelectrochemical cells photocatalysis (see front cover image), allowing continued power production when the sky is cloudy or dark. The conversion of regulated by four processes: light absorption, charge separation, migration, recombination. An individual material cannot optimized for all processes. Incorporation plasmonic nanostructures with semiconductors...

For semiconductors photosensitized with organic dyes or quantum dots, transferred electrons are usually considered thermalized at the conduction band edge. This study suggests that injected from a plasmonic metal into thin semiconductor shell can be nonthermal energy up to plasmon frequency. In other words, still hot carriers. Photomodulated X-ray absorption measurements of Ti L2,3 edge compared before and after excitation in Au@TiO2 core-shell nanoparticles. Comparison theoretical...