Plasmonic nanocatalysts for visible-NIR light induced hydrogen generation from storage materials

Abstract

Solar-to-chemical conversion processes, assisted by localised surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), are a fast-growing field of plasmonics that efficiently utilise solar energy due to their unique catalytic and optical responses. Plasmonic nanostructures can harvest abundant sunlight by concentrating the incident light energy in the nanoscale regime to drive chemical reactions on the surface of nanoparticles. The advantages of employing LSPR in catalysis include higher conversion rates and improved selectivity under mild reaction conditions. This review highlights the latest progress on harnessing plasmonic photocatalysts involving noble metal nanoparticles (Au, Ag) and doped semiconductor (WO_3−x, MoO_3−x) nanostructures for their application in the enhanced hydrogen evolution from ammonia borane (AB) under visible-NIR light irradiation. An overview of multi-metallic heterostructures, in combination with plasmonic nanoparticles, which are available at the current stage in plasmon chemistry has been included. The rational design, tuning of plasmonic absorption and their underlying mechanisms for enhanced catalytic activities have also been reviewed. Finally, the current challenges and future perspectives have been discussed to further improve the efficiency of plasmon-mediated heterogeneous catalysis to achieve more practical applications in the near future.