Dual-plasmonic Au@Cu7S4 yolk@shell nanocrystals for photocatalytic hydrogen production across visible to near infrared spectral region
Journal
Nature Communications
Journal Volume
15
Journal Issue
1
ISSN
20411723
Date Issued
2024
Author(s)
Tsao, Chun-Wen
Narra, Sudhakar
Kao, Jui-Cheng
Lin, Yu-Chang
Chen, Chun-Yi
Chin, Yu-Cheng
Huang, Ze-Jiung
Huang, Wei-Hong
Huang, Chih-Chia
Luo, Chih-Wei
Ogata, Shigenobu
Sone, Masato
Huang, Michael H.
Chang, Tso-Fu Mark
Lo, Yu-Chieh
Lin, Yan-Gu
Diau, Eric Wei-Guang
Hsu, Yung-Jung
Abstract
Near infrared energy remains untapped toward the maneuvering of entire solar spectrum harvesting for fulfilling the nuts and bolts of solar hydrogen production. We report the use of Au@Cu7S4 yolk@shell nanocrystals as dual-plasmonic photocatalysts to achieve remarkable hydrogen production under visible and near infrared illumination. Ultrafast spectroscopic data reveal the prevalence of long-lived charge separation states for Au@Cu7S4 under both visible and near infrared excitation. Combined with the advantageous features of yolk@shell nanostructures, Au@Cu7S4 achieves a peak quantum yield of 9.4% at 500 nm and a record-breaking quantum yield of 7.3% at 2200 nm for hydrogen production in the absence of additional co-catalysts. The design of a sustainable visible- and near infrared-responsive photocatalytic system is expected to inspire further widespread applications in solar fuel generation. In this work, the feasibility of exploiting the localized surface plasmon resonance property of self-doped, nonstoichiometric semiconductor nanocrystals for the realization of wide-spectrum-driven photocatalysis is highlighted. © 2024, The Author(s).
SDGs
Publisher
Nature Research
Description
Article number 413
Type
journal article