Plasmonic Nanofluids Research Articles

Optimization of plasmonic nanofluid filters for spectral splitting photovoltaic/thermal systems

There remains a scarcity of studies on the utilization and optimization of core–shell plasmonic nanofluid filter although it shows potential in solar energy exploitation. To fill this research gap, this paper introduces an optimization methodology founded on merit function (MF) to optimize the Au@SiO2-based nanofluid filters for enhancing the photovoltaic/photothermal (PV/T) system performance. Initially, the MF model of the nanofluid filtered-PV/T system was constructed based on a reliable optical model and validated by referenced experimental results. Using these models, the effect of nanofluid parameters on the system performance and the mechanism of optimization procedure were investigated. Results indicated that modifying SiO2 shell thickness is a cost-effective means of tailoring the transmittance of the nanofluids compared to adjusting the Au core diameter. The optimization mechanism can be summarized as enhancing electrical efficiency or improving thermal efficiency to offset electricity losses. Furthermore, the MF of the Au@SiO2/EG nanofluid increased from 1.3737 to 1.3844 with optical thickness decreasing from 44 mm to 40 mm by mixing with Ag@SiO2 nanoparticles, indicating the cost-effectivity of blended nanofluid. The MF of the optimized blended nanofluids are 0.007–0.084 higher than those of the referenced nanofluids. This work offers a feasible pathway toward achieving high-performance nanofluid optical filters.

Light-induced enhanced phase change process of plasmonic nanofluids: The reduction of the latent heat of vaporization

Recently, some studies have shown that the light-induced localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect of plasmonic nanoparticles can significantly influence the gas–liquid phase change process of nanofluids, but the mechanism is still not clear. In this work, we conducted several comparative experiments and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the reduction of the latent heat of vaporization (LHV) of plasmonic nanofluids (PNFs) under the impact of the LSPR effect. During the experiments, gold nanofluids with different concentrations were comparatively heated using a heat gun and monochromatic incident lights, and the LHV was calculated based on the Clausius-Clapeyron equation. It is found that when the LSPR effect is excited, the LHV of gold nanofluids with high concentrations can be dramatically reduced by 60.2 % under the combined effect of thermal diffusion and enhanced electric field (EEF). To further investigate the impact of the LSPR-induced EEF on the gas–liquid phase change process of PNFs, a modified MD simulation was used for calculating the LHV of gold nanofluids. The result reveals that nanoparticles not only act as ‘heat sources’ that transfer the thermal energy to the surrounding liquid when the LSPR effect is excited but also can excite the EEF to directly accelerate the motion of liquid molecules from the liquid state to the gaseous state. This work clearly reveals that the LSPR-induced EEF plays a crucial role in both the evaporation and boiling process of PNFs.

Recent advances of plasmonic nanofluids in solar harvesting and energy storage

Recent advances of plasmonic nanofluids in solar harvesting and energy storage

Enhancement of photo-thermal performance using hole plasmonic nanofluids

A single nanoparticle with broadband and strong optical absorption property has great significance for expanding its utilization and saving cost in various fields. This work utilizes the near-spherical nanocavities distributed on the surface of a single nanoparticles (named as “hole nanoparticles”) to optimize the optical absorption performance and to reduce the material cost, especially for plasmonic materials. The cavity effect and the localized surface plasmon resonance effect of the hole plasmonic nanofluids can effectively regulate the absorption band to match the solar spectrum and enhance optical absorption property. Apart from gathering the incident light, the cavity effect can enhance the surface resonance effect, then further enhances the optical absorption. Based on the finite-difference time-domain method, the results show that the photothermal conversion efficiency of silver hole nanofluid and titanium nitride hole nanofluid with a cavity size of 10 nm, a cavity depth of 18 nm, and a cavity number of 49 can separately reach 89.1 % and 91 % at just 10 ppm, among which the silver hole nanofluids have higher photothermal conversion efficiency by 15.4 % than the corresponding solid nanofluids. This work provides an efficient strategy to achieve the broadband-spectrum utilization of the single nanoparticle with the low material usage.

Plasmonic Nanofluids: Enhancing Photothermal Gradients toward Liquid Robots.

In situ energy generation in soft, flexible, autonomous devices is challenging due to the need for highly stretchable and fault-resistant components. Nanofluids with pyro-, tribo-, or thermoelectric properties have recently emerged as promising solutions for realizing liquid-based energy harvesters. Yet, large thermal gradients are required for the efficient performance of these systems. In this work, we show that oil-based plasmonic nanofluids uniquely combine high photothermal efficiency with strong heat localization. In particular, we report that oleic acid-based nanofluids containing TiN nanoclusters (0.3 wt %) exhibit 89% photothermal efficiency and can realize thermal gradients as large as 15.5 K/cm under solar irradiation. We experimentally and numerically investigate the photothermal behavior of the nanofluid as a function of solid fraction concentration and irradiation wavelength, clarifying the interplay of thermal and optical properties and demonstrating a dramatic improvement compared with water-based nanofluids. Overall, these results open unprecedented opportunities for the development of liquid-based energy generation systems for soft, stand-alone devices.

Evaporation of nanofluid with induced bubbles under sun illumination

Recently, various nanofluids have been explored to facilitate vapor production, showing the great efficacy of such fluids in solar evaporation. Plasmonic nanofluid generally requires high concentrations or mixing of individual nanofluids to achieve efficient evaporation. In contrast, carbon-based nanofluid, by its very nature, can achieve broad-spectrum absorption and require only very low concentrations. In this work, we introduce air bubbles within the carbon-based nanofluid to facilitate vapor evaporation. The dynamic bubbles effectively extend the incident light path and provide a large gas-liquid interface for moisture trapping, and the kinetic energy of the vapor generated during bubble bursting improves vapor diffusion. The coupling effect between the carbon-based nanofluid and the bubble resulted in a vapor production rate of 0.831 kg/(m2·h), with evaporation efficiencies three times that of pure water at a stable irradiance of approximately 750 W/m2, showing that both the nanofluid and bubbles play their positive roles in promoting evaporation. This work combines bubbling with evaporation systems, providing new insights into the use of solar evaporation

Experimental investigation of an asymmetric compound parabolic concentrator–based direct absorption solar collector using plasmonic nanofluids

Plasmonic nanofluid-based direct absorption solar collector (DASC) systems have shown a better perspective over surface-based solar thermalcollectors. These nanofluids demonstrated high thermal performance in photo-thermal conversion efficiency even at minute concentration compared to other testednanofluids. However, very few studies have been reported so farwith real-time outdoor experiments to show the opportunities and challenges in the practical applications of concentrating DASC systems. For the work presented here, an asymmetric compound parabolic concentrator (ACPC)-based DASC system has been designed, fabricated, and tested using mono-spherical gold and silver nanoparticle-based plasmonicnanofluids over several clear sky days at Jalandhar city (31.32° N, 75.57° E), India. The optical and morphological properties of synthesized nanoparticles were studied using UV-Vis spectrophotometry and High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). Photo-thermal conversion tests were conducted using different working fluids and compared with a flat DASC system under similar operating conditions. The experimental results revealed that ACPC-based DASC system reached a maximum thermal efficiency of around 70% using plasmonic nanofluids which was approximately 28% higher than a flat DASC system with water as the working fluid. The stability analysis showed that plasmonic nanofluids are capable of retaining their optical properties even after several hours of sun exposure. The present study highlights the use of plasmonic nanostructures for achieving high photo-thermal conversion efficiency in concentrating DASC systems.

Investigations of stable surface-modified gold nanofluids optical filters based on optical optimization for photovoltaic/thermal systems

Nanofluid filters have become increasingly popular for solar photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) systems due to their tunable optical and thermal properties, especially for some plasmonic nanofluids. However, towards optimizing the characteristics of the plasmonic nanofluids filters, by identifying the best nanofluid parameters and improving their long-term dispersion stability, more researches need to be conducted. In this work, the effects of nanoparticles concentration, optical thickness and nanoparticle size on performance of Au nanofluids filtered PV/T systems are investigated theoretically. The PV/T systems can obtain optimal merit function (MF) of 1.367 and 1.357 for Au/water nanofluid and Au/ethylene glycol (EG) nanofluid, respectively. Then, surface-modified Au nanoparticles capped with polyethylene glycol (PEG) or polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) polymers are prepared and dispersed in water and EG, respectively. The stability of the stabilizer coated Au nanofluids upon long-term ambient storage, continuous heating, cyclic flowing and solar radiation is discussed. Au + PVP/EG nanofluids exhibit more excellent thermal stability than that of Au + PVP/water. To study the effectiveness of the optimal Au + PVP/EG nanofluids filtered PV/T system, indoor flowing experiments are conducted. The optimal MF of 1.95 and exergy efficiency of 13.98% is achieved filtered by Au + PVP/EG nanofluid with concentration of 29.2 ppm when mass flow rate is 2 mL/min.

The non-linear evolution of radiative properties of plasmonic nanofluid during light-induced vaporization process

The light-induced vaporization process of plasmonic nanofluid plays an essential role in solar energy harvesting. Under light illumination, metallic nanoparticles can be converted into ideal thermal sources at nanoscale and generate plasmonic nanobubbles (PNBs) at the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) wavelength, Therefore, the radiative properties of nanofluid closely correlate with the evolution of PNB nucleation, growth, fusion, and dissipation. A model based on finite element modeling is developed to investigate the evolution of radiative properties. The effect of gold nanoparticle (AuNP) size, PNB size, and AuNP aggregation morphology on the extinction cross section, albedo, and LSPR peak wavelength of particle-bubble complexes (P-B complexes) during the evolution of PNB is determined. The results indicate that with the vaporization process of nanofluid, the evolution of PNBs makes the radiation properties exhibit an obvious non-linear evolution pattern. Specifically, the generation of PNB shifts the LSPR peak wavelength towards blue, while the aggregation of AuNPs shifts it towards red. In the presence of PNB, the variation of the LSPR peak wavelength depends on the competition between the blue-shifting effect of PNB growth and the red-shifting effect of AuNP aggregation. After PNB dissipation, the aggregation of AuNPs raises the aggregates’ albedo. An albedo lower than 0.5 indicates a strong absorption of incident light energy. The increase in AuNP size, PNB size, and the aggregation of AuNPs all contribute to the increase in the peak extinction cross section. When PNB is present, whether the albedo of P-B complexes exceeds 0.5 depends on the relative magnitude of the extinction cross section of AuNP aggregates and PNB. The increase in the number of AuNPs aggregation layers causes the blue-shifted LSPR peak wavelength of AuNP aggregates, the decreased peak extinction cross section, the increased LSPR peak width, and the potential for multiple extinction peaks.

Investigation on stable TiN plasmonic nanofluids for applications in direct absorption solar collectors

AbstractTiN nanoparticles based plasmonic nanofluids exhibit promising results in performance improvement of direct absorption solar collectors, but the main issue for practical application is their poor stability. In this work, ethylene glycol (EG) based TiN nanofluids with polyacrylic acid (PAA) stabilizing ligand were prepared. The optical properties of the TiN‐PAA/EG nanofluids with concentration ranging from 10 to 100 mg/L were characterized. The solar weighted absorption fraction of 99.55% is achieved at the optical depth of 1 cm when the concentration of the TiN‐PAA/EG nanofluids is 100 mg/L. In addition, the experimental results of the long‐term stability indicated that the TiN‐PAA/EG nanofluid retained excellent dispersion stability after ambient storage of 250 days. Then, the stability of TiN‐PAA/EG nanofluids upon prolonged heating cycle and accelerated ultraviolet (UV) irradiation was investigated. The results showed that TiN‐PAA/EG nanofluid with concentration of 75 mg/L presents superior thermal stability after prolonged heating cycles at 120°C and excellent photostability after 30 days of UV irradiation. Finally, the photo‐thermal conversion performance for TiN‐PAA/EG nanofluids was studied. The stagnation temperature of the 100 mg/L TiN‐PAA/EG nanofluids after light irradiation of 2 h reaches up to 80.12°C. The specific absorption rate of the prepared TiN‐PAA nanofluids is demonstrated higher than that of reported TiN nanofluids.

Optical properties of hollow plasmonic nanopillars for efficient solar photothermal conversion

Plasmonic nanofluids, which have superior optical properties, provide a novel way to achieve efficient solar thermal utilization. Here, the optical properties and photothermal conversion performance of hollow nanopillar structures based on four plasmonic materials (Ag, Au, Cu, TiN) were investigated and compared with the corresponding solid nanopillar structures. Numerical results show that the most significant increase in photothermal conversion efficiency is the plasmonic nanofluid based on hollow Au nanopillars, with an increase of 34.14%. The underlying physical mechanism is that the local and propagating surface plasmon resonances are further promoted in the hollow structure. In contrast, the increase of the photothermal conversion efficiency is only 1.41% for the hollow TiN nanopillars. This is due to the fact that the solid TiN nanopillars already have a high photothermal conversion efficiency of 97.19%. Thus, we can consider the enhancement of the photothermal properties of the plasmonic nanofluid by the hollow structure, especially for precious metal materials with narrow-band absorption, such as Au and Ag. For plasmonic materials with intrinsic broad-spectrum absorption (TiN, Cu), the enhancement effect is not significant. It is believed that this work will provide theoretical guidance for high-performance direct absorption solar collectors.

The mechanism of enhanced photothermal conversion of low-dimensional plasmonic nanofluids with LFPs resonance

Solar-thermal utilization is one of the important ways of energy utilization at present and in the future. Nanofluids play a key role in photothermal conversion. In this work, the low-dimensional plasmonic TiN/MWCNTs nanofluids were firstly proposed. The photothermal conversion properties of low-dimensional plasmonic nanofluids was systematically investigated. The analytical results indicated that the heat transfer and optical properties of plasmonic nanofluids were significantly enhanced. Specifically, thanks to the expanded light absorption by the LSPR of nano-TiN and the enhanced thermal transport by its low-frequency phonon (LFP) resonance with MWCNTs, the photothermal conversion efficiency can reach 68.1% with 10 ppm TiN/MWCNTs nanofluids, which was 22.9% higher than that of the MWCNTs nanofluids. And the photothermal conversion efficiency of TiN/MWCNTs nanofluids (40 ppm) reached 76.4%. Furthermore, through the simulation and experimental results, this paper explained the mechanism of the enhanced solar-thermal conversion performance of nanofluids from the perspective of phonon heat transfer.

Effect of various metallic nanoparticles on plasmon-enhanced solar absorption efficiency.

Solar thermal conversion technology has attracted significant attention because it ensures sustainable and modern clean energy generation. The usage of plasmonic nanofluids as the working media is a useful strategy to collect solar energy. In this study, the optical properties of various individual nanospheres (NPs) and nanorods (NRs)--Au, Ag, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Pb, Ti, Li, and Al--and their effect on the solar absorption efficiency factor (SAEF) with a solar wavelength between 300nm and 1100nm are determined using COMSOL Multiphysics software. For NPs, the SAEF is divided into three parts. In the first part with a radius lower than 35nm, an Li NP has the highest SAEF of 1.3992. In the second part, with a radius between 35nm and 50nm, the Au and Cu NPs have the highest SAEFs of 1.1963 and 1.2469, respectively. In the third part, with a radius between 50nm and 90nm, the maximum SAEFs of Fe (1.5682 at radius of 75nm), Pt (1.4914 at radius of 90nm), Ti (1.4348 at radius of 75nm), and Mn (1.4614 at radius of 75nm) can be obtained. Compared to NPs, the SAEF of an NR greatly depends on the aspect ratio (AR) and the effective radius (r e f f ). We observe that the SAEFs of Ag, Al, Au, Cu, Fe Mg, Mn, Mo, and Ti NRs are much stronger than that of corresponding NPs with the same r e f f . The results obtained from the present study provide fundamental information and guidelines to choose optimal NPs for enhancements in solar energy harvesting.

A review of applications of plasmonic and conventional nanofluids in solar heat collection

• The research progress of plasmonic nanofluids in recent ten years is reviewed. • Comparison of plasmonic nanofluids with conventional nanofluids. • The LSPR effect of plasmonic nanofluids enhances the light absorption. • Many factors affect the light absorption and photothermal conversion characteristics. • How to improve the light absorption properties of plasmonic nanofluids needs further discussion. With the development of solar energy utilization and nanotechnology, nanofluid heat collection has attracted significant attention. The solar plasmonic nanofluids with significant local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect have exhibited superior behaviors in thermophysical properties, optical properties, and photothermal conversion efficiency. This paper reviews the research progress of plasmonic nanofluids in solar collectors and PV/T systems and compares them with conventional nanofluids for the first time. The plasmonic nanofluids exhibit excellent light absorption capacity and controllable light intensity and resonance frequency. Due to the existence of the LSPR effect, plasmonic nanofluids show significant absorption peak, which can meet the requirements of broadband solar energy absorption and have better usage value than conventional nanofluids in solar heat collection. Many factors affect the photothermal conversion efficiency of plasmonic nanofluids, such as particle size, concentration and flow rate. Using hybrid nanofluids can significantly broaden the extinction spectrum and further enhance light absorption. To clarify the specific mechanism of plasmonic nanofluids, improve their stability and make them more suitable for different types of solar heat collection, more experimental exploration is needed.

Plasmonic Ag/Cu/PEG nanofluids prepared when solids meet liquids in the gas phase.

Since the time of Faraday's experiments, the optical response of plasmonic nanofluids has been tailored by the shape, size, concentration, and material of nanoparticles (NPs), or by mixing different types of NPs. To date, water-based liquids have been the most extensively investigated host media, while polymers, such as poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), have frequently been added to introduce repulsive steric interactions and protect NPs from agglomeration. Here, we introduce an inverse system of non-aqueous nanofluids, in which Ag and Cu NPs are dispersed in PEG (400 g mol-1), with no solvents or chemicals involved. Our single-step approach comprises the synthesis of metal NPs in the gas phase using sputtering-based gas aggregation cluster sources, gas flow transport of NPs, and their deposition (optionally simultaneous) on the PEG surface. Using computational fluid dynamics simulations, we show that NPs diffuse into PEG at an average velocity of the diffusion front of the order of μm s-1, which is sufficient for efficient loading of the entire polymer bulk. We synthesize yellow Ag/PEG, green Cu/PEG, and blue Ag/Cu/PEG nanofluids, in which the color is given by the position of the plasmon resonance. NPs are prone to partial agglomeration and sedimentation, with a slower kinetics for Cu. Density functional theory calculations combined with UV-vis data and zeta-potential measurements prove that the surface oxidation to Cu2O and stronger electrostatic repulsion are responsible for the higher stability of Cu NPs. Adopting the De Gennes formalism, we estimate that PEG molecules adsorb on the NP surface in mushroom coordination, with the thickness of the adsorbed layer L < 1.4 nm, grafting density σ < 0.20, and the average distance between the grafted chains D > 0.8 nm. Such values provide sufficient steric barriers to retard, but not completely prevent, agglomeration. Overall, our approach offers an excellent platform for fundamental research on non-aqueous nanofluids, with metal-polymer and metal-metal interactions unperturbed by the presence of solvents or chemical residues.

Thermal management of a mono-crystalline PV/T system using gold plasmonic nanofluid based optical filter

Solar energy can fulfill most of the world's electrical and thermal energy demands. The utilization of nanofluids in solar Photovoltaic/Thermal (PV/T) systems, to enhance the overall system performance using passive and active methods, have been studied explicitly in the last few years. More recently, nanofluid-based optical filters are integrated in decoupled fashion with Photovoltaic (PV) systems for the effective utilization of solar spectrum i.e. below and beyond the band-gap of PV cells. For the work presented here, we compared thermal performance of Au nanofluid-based optical filter (at 0.0002 wt%)over base fluid water on a 50 W mono-crystalline PV module under real outdoor conditions. The study results showed that in comparison to DI water, Au lowers the average surface temperature of the PV module, and hence better overall system efficiency compared to water as an optical filter. The overall efficiency of PV/T system was observed about 42%, 37% and 14% with Au nanofluid optical filter, de-ionized water filter, and bare PV module, respectively. This study revealed that the overall efficiency of the PV module with Au nanofluid as the optical filter can be enhanced.

Ultra-stable carbon quantum dot nanofluids for direct absorption solar collectors

Nanofluids show great interest in the direct absorption solar collector (DASC) due to their excellent optical, thermal, and flow properties. However, the stability of nanofluid in the terms of the long period and the working temperature has limited its commercial application in DASCs. In this work, ultra-stable carbon quantum dot (CQD) nanofluids were prepared by microwave heating polyethylene glycol 200 (PEG-200), which shows excellent stability over a long period (such as 30 days) and repeatable performance at the working temperature. The solar thermal conversion efficiency η increases with extending the microwave duration t, and η can reach 81% at 1 sun and t = 24 min, which is triple the base fluid PEG-200 (η = 27%). In addition, the solar intensity and working temperature have little effect on η due to the ultra-stability of CQD nanofluids. Finally, η can be further enhanced by changing the base fluid or mixing with the plasmonic nanofluids. These results show that the CQD nanofluids can be a potential working fluid used in solar thermal applications.

Enhancement of solar absorption performance using TiN@SiCw plasmonic nanofluids for effective photo-thermal conversion: Numerical and experimental investigation

The heat exchange medium moderately determines the heat utilization efficiency of solar energy. Nanofluids, a type of working fluids with high thermal conductivity and strong light absorption, have been studied and applied to improve solar energy utilization. In this study, TiN@SiCw binary composite nanoparticles were prepared by a coupling agent method. The optical coupling absorption properties of TiN and SiCw nanoparticles were numerically simulated by the finite-difference time-domain method. Results showed the TiN@SiCw nanostructure can improve the width and intensity of spectral absorption. Then TiN@SiCw and SiCw nanofluids based on ethylene glycol were prepared by a two-step method and studied experimentally in terms of thermal conductivity and optical absorption. The photothermal conversion efficiency of the nanofluids was measured by a special flow and photothermal coupling model (side radiation). Experiments showed the thermal conductivity and light absorption of TiN@SiCw composite nanofluids were stronger than those of SiCw single-component nanofluids and the base fluid. Specifically, the energy absorption fraction and the photo-thermal efficiency of TiN@SiCw nanofluids at the highest concentration of 140 ppm were 96.2% and 90.5%, respectively, which were 12.1% and 21.7% higher respectively compared with SiCw nanofluids. Hence, the TiN@SiCw nanofluids are suitable for enhancing the efficiency of solar collectors.

Comparative thermal performance enhancement study of a reverse - irradiated and direct - irradiated direct absorption solar collector using silver nanofluid

ABSTRACT Plasmonic nanofluids have emerged as strong candidates for future working fluids in direct absorption solar collectors (DASC). However, in novel DASC systems, a significant temperature gradient exists over working fluid depth increasing emissive losses and hence, results in low thermal conversion efficiency. Considering these issues, a laboratory scale prototype of reverse-irradiated DASC system (RR–DASC) has been tested under controlled laboratory conditions and compared with a direct irradiated DASC system (DR–DASC) using silver nanofluids at three different mass concentrations i.e., 0.1 mg/L, 0.2 mg/L, and 0.4 mg/L. Ag nanoparticles were having monodisperse spherical shape with surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak occurring around 395–400 nm. The experimental results showed that RR–DASC maintains uniform temperature over the fluid depth, while about 3–4°C temperature gradient was noticed in direct irradiated DASC system under similar operating conditions. A maximum photo-thermal conversion efficiency of about 80% was observed using 0.4 mg/L Ag nanofluids in RR–DASC system. The presented work can pave the ways for future development of highly efficient DASC systems for low to high temperature solar applications.

Recent advances on improved optical, thermal, and radiative characteristics of plasmonic nanofluids: Academic insights and perspectives

To enhance the assimilation of light in the solar thermal area, we need to focus beyond the thermo-physical properties of the nanoparticles, i.e., optical properties of the nanoparticles (NPs) augment the optical characteristics of the solar spectrum; therefore, the concept of plasmonic nanofluids has been introduced. The plasmonic nanoparticles (mainly work on scattering and absorption mechanisms) suspended in a base fluid are known to enhance the thermal and photon efficiency of the volumetric solar thermal collectors compared to the conventional ones. Further, this study aims to review the most recently published works on plasmonic nanofluids that exclusively present its preparation methods, thermophysical properties, and applications in solar collectors. Following, an overview of the potential features of plasmonic nanofluids and their preparation methods are presented. Afterward, the stability and thermophysical properties of such nanofluids are discussed. Then, the application in solar energy collectors, automotive cooling, as well as biomedical applications are overviewed. Finally, some future directions for further research in this field of study are suggested. In this work, we reviewed the work done in the plasmonic field in the last decade, and we have tried to summarize the results based on published data and future outlooks. This work can benefit researchers in this field as there is no comprehensive review of plasmonic nanofluids available. This work is believed to help the researchers to modernize the latest trends and understand the potential research gap in the optical properties of nanofluids to enhance the performance of solar collectors further and reduce thermal losses.