Engineering Plasmon-Semiconductor Coupling in Spatially Ordered Supraparticles for Boosted Photocatalytic Hydrogen...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Photocatalysis

Background:

• Organizing nanocomponents into ordered architectures is key for light-matter interactions.
• Spatially ordered hybrid superstructures remain underexplored for photocatalysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the bottom-up construction of colloidal supraparticles (SPs) with photocatalytic and plasmonic nanoparticles.
• To investigate the impact of nanoscale spatial engineering on photocatalytic efficiency.

Main Methods:

• Bottom-up synthesis of colloidal supraparticles (SPs) containing CdS-based and gold (Au) nanoparticles (NPs).
• Tuning of Au NP size and compositional ratios within the SPs.
• Ultrafast spectroscopic analyses and finite element simulations.

Main Results:

• Optimized CdSe@CdS-Au SPs achieved a hydrogen evolution rate of 160 mmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹ under visible light.
• Demonstrated significant enhancement compared to component mixtures and previous NP-based systems.
• Spatial confinement facilitates plasmon-mediated interactions and energy transfer, enhancing activity.

Conclusions:

• Nanoscale spatial engineering is a versatile strategy for designing hybrid architectures.
• Optimized hybrid superstructures show high-efficiency solar-to-chemical energy conversion.
• This approach offers a pathway to improved photocatalytic performance.