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Henrotte O, Kment Š, Naldoni A. Mass Transport Limitations in Plasmonic Photocatalysis. NANO LETTERS 2024. [PMID: 38991547 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c01386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
The interpretation of mechanisms governing hot carrier reactivity on metallic nanostructures is critical, yet elusive, for advancing plasmonic photocatalysis. In this work, we explored the influence of the diffusion of molecules on the hot carrier extraction rate at the solid-liquid interface, which is of fundamental interest for increasing the efficiency of photodevices. Through a spatially defined scanning photoelectrochemical microscopy investigation, we identified a diffusion-controlled regime hindering the plasmon-driven photochemical activity of metallic nanostructures. Using low-power monochromatic illumination (<2 W cm-2), we unveiled the hidden influence of mass transport on the quantum efficiency of plasmonic photocatalysts. The availability of molecules at the solid-liquid interface directly limits the extraction of hot holes, according to their nature and energy, at the reactive spots in Au nanoislands on an ultrathin TiO2 substrate. An intriguing question arises: does the mass transport enhancement caused by thermal effects unlock the reactivity of nonthermal carriers under steady state?
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Henrotte
- Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute, Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials Department, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc 78371, Czech Republic
| | - Štěpán Kment
- Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute, Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials Department, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc 78371, Czech Republic
- CEET, Nanotechnology Centre, VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava, 17. Listopadu 2172/15, Ostrava-Poruba 708 00, Czech Republic
| | - Alberto Naldoni
- Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute, Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials Department, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc 78371, Czech Republic
- Department of Chemistry and NIS Centre, University of Turin, Turin 10125, Italy
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Ostovar B, Lee SA, Mehmood A, Farrell K, Searles EK, Bourgeois B, Chiang WY, Misiura A, Gross N, Al-Zubeidi A, Dionne JA, Landes CF, Zanni M, Levine BG, Link S. The role of the plasmon in interfacial charge transfer. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadp3353. [PMID: 38968358 PMCID: PMC11225779 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adp3353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024]
Abstract
The lack of a detailed mechanistic understanding for plasmon-mediated charge transfer at metal-semiconductor interfaces severely limits the design of efficient photovoltaic and photocatalytic devices. A major remaining question is the relative contribution from indirect transfer of hot electrons generated by plasmon decay in the metal to the semiconductor compared to direct metal-to-semiconductor interfacial charge transfer. Here, we demonstrate an overall electron transfer efficiency of 44 ± 3% from gold nanorods to titanium oxide shells when excited on resonance. We prove that half of it originates from direct interfacial charge transfer mediated specifically by exciting the plasmon. We are able to distinguish between direct and indirect pathways through multimodal frequency-resolved approach measuring the homogeneous plasmon linewidth by single-particle scattering spectroscopy and time-resolved transient absorption spectroscopy with variable pump wavelengths. Our results signify that the direct plasmon-induced charge transfer pathway is a promising way to improve hot carrier extraction efficiency by circumventing metal intrinsic decay that results mainly in nonspecific heating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Behnaz Ostovar
- Center for Adopting Flaws as Features, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Stephen A. Lee
- Center for Adopting Flaws as Features, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Arshad Mehmood
- Center for Adopting Flaws as Features, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Institute for Advanced Computational Science, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Kieran Farrell
- Center for Adopting Flaws as Features, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Emily K. Searles
- Center for Adopting Flaws as Features, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Briley Bourgeois
- Center for Adopting Flaws as Features, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Wei-Yi Chiang
- Center for Adopting Flaws as Features, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Anastasiia Misiura
- Center for Adopting Flaws as Features, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Niklas Gross
- Center for Adopting Flaws as Features, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Alexander Al-Zubeidi
- Center for Adopting Flaws as Features, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Jennifer A. Dionne
- Center for Adopting Flaws as Features, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Christy F. Landes
- Center for Adopting Flaws as Features, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Martin Zanni
- Center for Adopting Flaws as Features, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Benjamin G. Levine
- Center for Adopting Flaws as Features, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Institute for Advanced Computational Science, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Stephan Link
- Center for Adopting Flaws as Features, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
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Karaman CO, Bykov AY, Kiani F, Tagliabue G, Zayats AV. Ultrafast hot-carrier dynamics in ultrathin monocrystalline gold. Nat Commun 2024; 15:703. [PMID: 38267406 PMCID: PMC10808103 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44769-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Applications in photodetection, photochemistry, and active metamaterials and metasurfaces require fundamental understanding of ultrafast nonthermal and thermal electron processes in metallic nanosystems. Significant progress has been recently achieved in synthesis and investigation of low-loss monocrystalline gold, opening up opportunities for its use in ultrathin nanophotonic architectures. Here, we reveal fundamental differences in hot-electron thermalisation dynamics between monocrystalline and polycrystalline ultrathin (down to 10 nm thickness) gold films. Comparison of weak and strong excitation regimes showcases a counterintuitive unique interplay between thermalised and non-thermalised electron dynamics in mesoscopic gold with the important influence of the X-point interband transitions on the intraband electron relaxation. We also experimentally demonstrate the effect of hot-electron transfer into a substrate and the substrate thermal properties on electron-electron and electron-phonon scattering in ultrathin films. The hot-electron injection efficiency from monocrystalline gold into TiO2, approaching 9% is measured, close to the theoretical limit. These experimental and modelling results reveal the important role of crystallinity and interfaces on the microscopic electronic processes important in numerous applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can O Karaman
- Laboratory of Nanoscience for Energy Technologies (LNET), STI, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anton Yu Bykov
- Department of Physics and London Centre for Nanotechnology, King's College London, London, WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Fatemeh Kiani
- Laboratory of Nanoscience for Energy Technologies (LNET), STI, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Giulia Tagliabue
- Laboratory of Nanoscience for Energy Technologies (LNET), STI, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Anatoly V Zayats
- Department of Physics and London Centre for Nanotechnology, King's College London, London, WC2R 2LS, UK.
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