Chemically and spatially specific antenna–dual reactor photocatalyst

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Our paper on “Plasmonic Photocatalysis with Chemically and Spatially Specific Antenna–Dual Reactor Complexes” is published online at ACS Nano. 

In this work, we investigate the influence of the spatial coupling of the two chemically distinct Pd and Fe reactor nanodisks relative to the central planar Al nanodisk fabricated in 90° and 180° trimer configurations on the outcome of the photocatalytcially driven chemical reaction. Our results reveal that light-driven chemical reactions can be performed with both chemical and spatial control of the specific reaction steps, demonstrating precisely designed antennas with multiple reactors for tailored control of chemical reactions of increasing complexity.

Bringing sustainability to H2S decomposition for efficient remediation and H2 production

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Our paper on “Direct H2S Decomposition by Plasmonic Photocatalysis: Efficient Remediation plus Sustainable Hydrogen Production” has been published in ACS Energy Letters. 

In this work, we demonstrate a highly efficient plasmonic photocatalysis approach for the one-step decomposition of hydrogen sulfide into hydrogen and sulfur using SiO2-supported gold nanoparticles and under visible light illumination and with no external heat source. Our work represents an exciting opportunity for developing sustainable alternative path to the industrial Claus process for simultaneous high-efficiency hydrogen production and low-temperature sulfur recovery that is critical in many industrial processes.

Plasmonically enhanced hydrogen evolution with earth-abundant aluminum

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Our paper on “Plasmonically enhanced hydrogen evolution with an Al-TiO2-based photoelectrode” has been published in J. Phys. Chem. C. as part of a virtual special issue “Honoring Michael R. Berman”.

In this work, we demonstrate a n-TiO2/aluminum (Al) nanodisk/p-GaN sandwiched photoelectrode architecture that efficiently exploits the hot carrier generation in Al nanodisks and the plasmonic near-field enhancement to drive H2 evolution in neutral aqueous solution with the photoelectrode performance being on par or better than previous reports of plasmonic photoelectrodes using Au nanoparticles in combination with cocatalyst species.

 

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