Electrochemical and Photoelectrochemical Applications of Plasmonic Metal and Compound Nanoparticles

Abstract

Metal nanoparticles (NPs) that exhibit bright colors have been used as coloring agents of glass artifacts since before Christ. After the origin of the coloration, localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), was elucidated, their application has been expanded widely. This account focuses on electrochemical and photoelectrochemical applications of the plasmonic metal and compound NPs. Because LSPR is based on collective oscillation of free electrons in a NP in resonance with electric field oscillation of light, the resonant wavelength can be tuned electrochemically by transferring electrons to or from the NP. On this basis, we developed a new class of plasmonic sensors without gratings, and near infrared electrochromic smart windows. Meanwhile, resonant NPs exhibit charge separation at the interface with a semiconductor such as TiO₂. We studied this phenomenon, plasmon-induced charge separation (PICS), in particular about mechanisms including behavior of energetic carriers (hot holes and electrons), by using a wide variety of plasmonic NPs with different morphologies and compositions. Knowledge thus obtained was exploited for nanofabrication and development of near infrared PICS devices.