Plasmonic Nanostructures for Photocatalytic and Photoelectrochemical Energy Conversion: Review of Light-matter Interaction, Charge Transfer, and Integration

Abstract:

Plasmonic nanostructures offer an exciting new approach to energy conversion, utilizing PEC (photoelectrochemical) and photocatalytic systems to overcome the intrinsic disadvantages of bulk semiconductor systems. The coupling of electromagnetic fields generated by Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) in these materials can produce energetic charge carriers and phonon modes to drive energy conversion processes, resulting in enhanced light harvesting and charge separation. A review of the state of the art in the design and utilization of plasmonic nanostructures for sustainable energy conversion is presented. Beginning with the basics of light-matter interaction and electron transfer in plasmonic systems and hot electron injection, energy transfer and interfacial considerations in metals-semiconductors, the review is subsequently complemented by the role of plasmonic nanostructures in PEC and photocatalytic reactions, highlighting recent key developments in water splitting, CO2 reduction and solar fuel production, with broad global relevance. There is a need to use system-level design approaches to address requirements such as scalability, stability, and device geometry. The intrinsic difficulties in such systems as the hot carrier relaxation timescales and the recombination losses, and also the inherent costs of noble metals, are stressed with some of the new possibilities involving themselves, such as new alloys in plasmonics, earthabundant metals, and AI-assisted nanostructure design. Plasmonics is demonstrably both the foundation of fundamental physics and of engineering applications, providing the potential for advancement in next-generation solar energy technology. It will serve as the basis for the development of strong, efficient, scalable, and sustainable energy conversion processes.