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Huang X, Zhang W, Liang W. Time-dependent Kohn-Sham electron dynamics coupled with nonequilibrium plasmonic response via atomistic electromagnetic model. J Chem Phys 2024; 160:214106. [PMID: 38828813 DOI: 10.1063/5.0205845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Computational modeling of plasmon-mediated molecular photophysical and photochemical behaviors can help us better understand and tune the bound molecular properties and reactivity and make better decisions to design and control nanostructures. However, computational investigations of coupled plasmon-molecule systems are challenging due to the lack of accurate and efficient protocols to simulate these systems. Here, we present a hybrid scheme by combining the real-time time-dependent density functional theory (RT-TDDFT) approach with the time-domain frequency dependent fluctuating charge (TD-ωFQ) model. At first, we transform ωFQ in the frequency-domain, an atomistic electromagnetic model for the plasmonic response of plasmonic metal nanoparticles (PMNPs), into the time-domain and derive its equation-of-motion formulation. The TD-ωFQ introduces the nonequilibrium plasmonic response of PMNPs and atomistic interactions to the electronic excitation of the quantum mechanical (QM) region. Then, we combine TD-ωFQ with RT-TDDFT. The derived RT-TDDFT/TD-ωFQ scheme allows us to effectively simulate the plasmon-mediated "real-time" electronic dynamics and even the coupled electron-nuclear dynamics by combining them with the nuclear dynamics approaches. As a first application of the RT-TDDFT/TD-ωFQ method, we study the nonradiative decay rate and plasmon-enhanced absorption spectra of two small molecules in the proximity of sodium MNPs. Thanks to the atomistic nature of the ωFQ model, the edge effect of MNP on absorption enhancement has also been investigated and unveiled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xunkun Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, and Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenshu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, and Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, People's Republic of China
| | - WanZhen Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, and Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, People's Republic of China
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2
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Wang Y, Aikens CM. Effects of Nanowire Doping on Plasmon-Enhanced N 2 Dissociation. J Phys Chem A 2024. [PMID: 38703392 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.3c08277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
Doping a transition metal element into plasmonic systems can tune the optical properties of the system, which will potentially facilitate the plasmon-enhanced catalytic process. In this study, we applied the linear-response time-dependent density functional theory (LR-TDDFT) method with real-time electron dynamics and mean-field Ehrenfest dynamics methods to computationally investigate the effects of doping silver nanowires on plasmon-enhanced N2 dissociation. We calculated the absorption spectra for different doped systems, applied an external electric field to the system, and performed mean-field Ehrenfest dynamics to examine how plasmonic excitation will affect the N2 activation or dissociation. In addition, we also studied how the transition metal dopant affects the system's electronic structure and potential energy surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuchen Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506, United States
| | - Christine M Aikens
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506, United States
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3
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Dall’Osto G, Marsili M, Vanzan M, Toffoli D, Stener M, Corni S, Coccia E. Peeking into the Femtosecond Hot-Carrier Dynamics Reveals Unexpected Mechanisms in Plasmonic Photocatalysis. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:2208-2218. [PMID: 38199967 PMCID: PMC10811681 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c12470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Plasmonic-driven photocatalysis may lead to reaction selectivity that cannot be otherwise achieved. A fundamental role is played by hot carriers, i.e., electrons and holes generated upon plasmonic decay within the metal nanostructure interacting with molecular species. Understanding the elusive microscopic mechanism behind such selectivity is a key step in the rational design of hot-carrier reactions. To accomplish that, we present state-of-the-art multiscale simulations, going beyond density functional theory, of hot-carrier injections for the rate-determining step of a photocatalytic reaction. We focus on carbon dioxide reduction, for which it was experimentally shown that the presence of a rhodium nanocube under illumination leads to the selective production of methane against carbon monoxide. We show that selectivity is due to a (predominantly) direct hole injection from rhodium to the reaction intermediate CHO. Unexpectedly, such an injection does not promote the selective reaction path by favoring proper bond breaking but rather by promoting bonding of the proper molecular fragment to the surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Dall’Osto
- Dipartimento
di Scienze Chimiche, Università di
Padova, via F. Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Margherita Marsili
- Dipartimento
di Fisica e Astronomia “Augusto Righi”, University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 6/2, 40127 Bologna, Italy
| | - Mirko Vanzan
- Dipartimento
di Scienze Chimiche, Università di
Padova, via F. Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
- Dipartimento
di Fisica, University of Milan, Via Giovanni Celoria 16, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Daniele Toffoli
- Dipartimento
di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, University
of Trieste, via L. Giorgieri 1, 34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Mauro Stener
- Dipartimento
di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, University
of Trieste, via L. Giorgieri 1, 34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Stefano Corni
- Dipartimento
di Scienze Chimiche, Università di
Padova, via F. Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
- Istituto
Nanoscienze-CNR, via
Campi 213/A, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Emanuele Coccia
- Dipartimento
di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, University
of Trieste, via L. Giorgieri 1, 34127 Trieste, Italy
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Wang Y, Aikens CM. Effects of Field Strength and Silver Nanowire Size on Plasmon-Enhanced N 2 Dissociation. J Phys Chem A 2023. [PMID: 37379020 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.3c00120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Dissociation of the nitrogen molecule via plasmon-enhanced catalysis using noble metal nanoparticles has been investigated both experimentally and computationally in recent years. However, the mechanism of plasmon-enhanced nitrogen dissociation is still not very clear. In this work, we apply theoretical approaches to examine the dissociation of a nitrogen molecule on atomically thin Agn nanowires (n = 6, 8, 10, 12) and a Ag19+ nanorod. Ehrenfest dynamics provides information about the motion of nuclei during the dynamics process and real-time TDDFT calculations show the electronic transitions and population of electrons over the first 10 s of fs time scale. The activation and dissociation of nitrogen are typically enhanced when the electric field strength increases. However, the enhancement is not always monotonic with field strength. As the length of the Ag wire increases, nitrogen is typically easier to dissociate and thus requires lower field strengths, even though the plasmon frequency is lower. The Ag19+ nanorod leads to faster dissociation of N2 than the atomically thin nanowires. Overall, our detailed study yields insights into the mechanisms involved in plasmon-enhanced N2 dissociation, as well as provides information about factors that can be used to improve adsorbate activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuchen Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506, United States
| | - Christine M Aikens
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506, United States
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Vanzan M, Gil G, Castaldo D, Nordlander P, Corni S. Energy Transfer to Molecular Adsorbates by Transient Hot Electron Spillover. NANO LETTERS 2023; 23:2719-2725. [PMID: 37010208 PMCID: PMC10103299 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c00013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Hot electron (HE) photocatalysis is one of the most intriguing fields of nanoscience, with a clear potential for technological impact. Despite much effort, the mechanisms of HE photocatalysis are not fully understood. Here we investigate a mechanism based on transient electron spillover on a molecule and subsequent energy release into vibrational modes. We use state-of-the-art real-time Time Dependent Density Functional Theory (rt-TDDFT), simulating the dynamics of a HE moving within linear chains of Ag or Au atoms, on which CO, N2, or H2O are adsorbed. We estimate the energy a HE can release into adsorbate vibrational modes and show that certain modes are selectively activated. The energy transfer strongly depends on the adsorbate, the metal, and the HE energy. Considering a cumulative effect from multiple HEs, we estimate this mechanism can transfer tenths of an eV to molecular vibrations and could play an important role in HE photocatalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirko Vanzan
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
- Department
of Physics, University of Milan, Via Celoria 16, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Gabriel Gil
- Instituto
de Cibernetica, Matematica y Física, Calle E esq 15 Vedado, 10400 La Habana, Cuba
| | - Davide Castaldo
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Peter Nordlander
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Stefano Corni
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
- CNR
Institute of Nanoscience, via Campi 213/A, 41125 Modena, Italy
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Nazir A, Huo P, Wang H, Weiqiang Z, Wan Y. A review on plasmonic-based heterojunction photocatalysts for degradation of organic pollutants in wastewater. JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE 2023; 58:6474-6515. [PMID: 37065680 PMCID: PMC10039801 DOI: 10.1007/s10853-023-08391-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Organic pollutants in wastewater are the biggest problem facing the world today due to population growth, rapid increase in industrialization, urbanization, and technological advancement. There have been numerous attempts to use conventional wastewater treatment techniques to address the issue of worldwide water contamination. However, conventional wastewater treatment has a number of shortcomings, including high operating costs, low efficiency, difficult preparation, fast recombination of charge carriers, generation of secondary waste, and limited light absorption. Therefore, plasmonic-based heterojunction photocatalysts have attracted much attention as a promising method to reduce organic pollutant problems in water due to their excellent efficiency, low operating cost, ease of fabrication, and environmental friendliness. In addition, plasmonic-based heterojunction photocatalysts contain a local surface plasmon resonance that enhances the performance of photocatalysts by improving light absorption and separation of photoexcited charge carriers. This review summarizes the major plasmonic effects in photocatalysts, including hot electron, local field effect, and photothermal effect, and explains the plasmonic-based heterojunction photocatalysts with five junction systems for the degradation of pollutants. Recent work on the development of plasmonic-based heterojunction photocatalysts for the degradation of various organic pollutants in wastewater is also discussed. Lastly, the conclusions and challenges are briefly described and the direction of future development of heterojunction photocatalysts with plasmonic materials is explored. This review could serve as a guide for the understanding, investigation, and construction of plasmonic-based heterojunction photocatalysts for various organic pollutants degradation. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT Herein, the plasmonic effects in photocatalysts, such as hot electrons, local field effect, and photothermal effect, as well as the plasmonic-based heterojunction photocatalysts with five junction systems for the degradation of pollutants are explained. Recent work on plasmonic-based heterojunction photocatalysts for the degradation of various organic pollutants in wastewater such as dyes, pesticides, phenols, and antibiotics is discussed. Challenges and future developments are also described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahsan Nazir
- Institute of Green Chemistry and Chemical Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013 China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013 China
| | - Pengwei Huo
- Institute of Green Chemistry and Chemical Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013 China
| | - Huijie Wang
- Institute of Green Chemistry and Chemical Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013 China
| | - Zhou Weiqiang
- Institute of Green Chemistry and Chemical Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013 China
| | - Yang Wan
- Institute of Green Chemistry and Chemical Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013 China
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Wang B, Chu W, Wu Y, Casanova D, Saidi WA, Prezhdo OV. Electron-Volt Fluctuation of Defect Levels in Metal Halide Perovskites on a 100 ps Time Scale. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:5946-5952. [PMID: 35732502 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c01452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Metal halide perovskites (MHPs) have gained considerable attention due to their excellent optoelectronic performance, which is often attributed to unusual defect properties. We demonstrate that midgap defect levels can exhibit very large and slow energy fluctuations associated with anharmonic acoustic motions. Therefore, care should be taken classifying MHP defects as deep or shallow, since shallow defects may become deep and vice versa. As a consequence, charges from deep levels can escape into bands, and light absorption can be extended to longer wavelengths, improving material performance. The phenomenon, demonstrated with iodine vacancy in CH3NH3PbI3 using a machine learning force field, can be expected for a variety of defects and dopants in many MHPs and other soft inorganic semiconductors. Since large-scale anharmonic motions can be precursors to chemical decomposition, a known problem with MHPs, we propose that materials that are stiffer than MHPs but softer than traditional inorganic semiconductors, such as Si and TiO2, may simultaneously exhibit excellent performance and stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bipeng Wang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
| | - Weibin Chu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
| | - Yifan Wu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
| | - David Casanova
- Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), Donostia, 20018 Euskadi, Spain
- Basque Foundation for Science, IKERBASQUE, Bilbao, 48009 Euskadi, Spain
| | - Wissam A Saidi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
| | - Oleg V Prezhdo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
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