Abstract
Harvesting low-energy photons by strategically exploiting the photocatalytic properties of plasmonic and upconversion nanocomponents is a promising route to improve solar energy utilization. Herein, a rationally designed 3D composite photoanode integrating NIR-responsive upconversion nanocrystals (UCNs) and visible-responsive plasmonic Au nanoparticles (NPs) into 3D TiO2 inverse opal nanostructures (Au/UCN/TiO2) has been shown to extend the solar energy utilization in the UV–vis–NIR range. The NIR-responsive properties of NaYF4:Yb3+-based UCNs doped with Er3+ or Tm3+ ions, and the effect of an alternating sequential introduction of UCN and Au, have been assessed. With an extended overlap between the emission of Er-UCN and the characteristic SPR band of Au, our ternary Au/Er-UCN/TiO2 hybrid nanostructure unveiled a notable 10-fold improvement in photocurrent density under UV–vis–NIR illumination compared with a pristine TiO2 reference. The Au incorporation was confirmed to play a key role in enhancing the ...
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