Non-Noble Plasmon Enhancement (NNPE) for PEC Energy Conversion

Owing to their unique properties, such as light-excitable resonant oscillation of conduction electrons, strong local electric field, and energetic hot charges (electrons/holes), plasmonic materials have overcome the challenges associated with traditional photoredox catalysts. They are considered important due to their superior light focusing ability, from free-space wavelengths to the sub-wavelength range. Although noble metal plasmonic enhancement has been recognized as one of the most important strategies in photoelectrocatalysis, the high cost and limited spectral range absorption of noble metals remain the biggest challenges for their practical application, which has led to a gradual shift in the focus on the abundant and less expensive non-noble metal plasmonics to pursue practically affordable photoelectrocatalysis. There is a need to approach escalating energy crisis with environmentally benign strategies. In this regard, plasmonic photoelectrocatalysis is an exceptional way to utilize a renewable energy source such as solar light to generate hydrogen energy via water splitting C. Bhattacharya, S. E. Saji, A. Mohan, et al. (2020). Advanced Energy Materials, 10.