Abstract
Noble metal (NM)-modified wide-bandgap semiconductors with activity under visible light (Vis) irradiation, due to localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), known as plasmonic photocatalysts, have been intensively studied over the last few years. Despite the novelty of the topic, a large number of reports have already been published, discussing the optimal properties, synthesis methods and mechanism clarification. It has been proposed that both efficient light harvesting and charge carriers’ migration are detrimental for high and stable activity under Vis irradiation. Accordingly, photonic crystals (PCs) with photonic bandgap (PBG) and slow photon effects seem to be highly attractive for efficient use of incident photons. Therefore, the study on PCs-based plasmonic photocatalysts has been conducted, mainly on titania inverse opal (IO) modified with nanoparticles (NPs) of NM. Although, the research is quite new and only several reports have been published, it might be concluded that the matching between LSPR and PBG (especially at red edge) by tuning of NMNPs size and IO-void diameter, respectively, is the most crucial for the photocatalytic activity.
Highlights
Solar photocatalysis has been considered as one of the possible solutions for main crises facing humanity, i.e., energy, environment and water
It should be pointed out that though the wide bandgap is detrimental for light harvesting, it usually results in high reactivity in both oxidation and reduction reactions under UV, especially for oxide semiconductors, since valence band (VB) and conduction band (CB) are highly positive and negative, respectively [3,4,5]
Noble metal (NM)-modified photonic crystals (PCs) have been used in the photocatalysis field, as summarized in Table 1, due to few advantages, as follows: (i) the in the photocatalysis field, as summarized in Table 1, due to few advantages, as follows: (i) the absorption at visible light (Vis)-NIR as most of the wide-bandgap semiconductors are unable to absorb light at absorption at Vis-NIR as most of the wide-bandgap semiconductors are unable to absorb light at those those regions, (ii) slow photons arising from photonic bandgap (PBG)/photonic effect owning to the PCs, which might regions, (ii)and slowstrengthen photons arising fromeffect, PBG/photonic effect to theasPCs, enhance the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR)
Summary
Solar photocatalysis has been considered as one of the possible solutions for main crises facing humanity, i.e., energy, environment and water. More than a decade ago another property of NMNPs have been used to activate wide-bandgap semiconductors towards Vis response, i.e., localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) [15]. The research on plasmonic photocatalysis is quite new, there are many reports on their synthesis, properties, applications, and mechanism dispute, including review papers and book chapters [16,17,18,19], and journal special issues [20,21], as shortly presented . This review is not summarizing/discussing all these reports on plasmonic photocatalysis but focuses on the novel topic using semiconductors in the form of photonic crystals (PCs) as a support for NMNPs. It has been expected that such photocatalysts should possess high photocatalytic activity due to enhanced light harvesting inside PCs. The synthesis methods, properties and some application examples of PCs-based plasmonic photocatalysts are presented further
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