Plasmon-Enhanced Photocatalytic Properties of Cu₂O Nanowire–Au Nanoparticle Assemblies

Abstract

Cu(2)O-Au nanocomposites (NCs) with tunable coverage of Au were prepared by a facile method of mixing gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) with copper(I) oxide nanowires (Cu(2)O NWs) in various ratios. These Cu(2)O-Au NCs display tunable optical properties, and their photocatalytic properties were dependent on the coverage density of Au NPs. The photocatalytic activity of Cu(2)O-Au NCs was examined by photodegradation of methylene blue. The presence of Au NPs enhanced the photodegradation efficiency of Cu(2)O NCs. The photocatalytic efficiency of Cu(2)O-Au NCs initially increased with the increasing coverage density of Au NPs and then decreased as the surface of Cu(2)O became densely covered by Au NPs. The enhanced photocatalytic efficiency was ascribed to enhanced light absorption (by the surface plasmon resonance) and the electron sink effect of the Au NPs.

Facile Synthesis of Highly Efficient One-Dimensional Plasmonic Photocatalysts through Ag@Cu2O Core–Shell Heteronanowires

“…This is attributed to the electron trapping role of molecular oxygen, which could produce ·O 2 -to inhibit the recombination of electron-hole pairs, and leave over holes to oxidize Fourth, the high length-to-diameter ratio of the 1D metal-core@semiconductor-shell hetero-nanostructures may remarkablely enhance the light absorption, trapping, and scattering through a local field enhancement effect of plasmonic Ag NWs, 69 and thus increase the quantity of photogenerated electrons and holes available to participate in the photocatalytic reactions, leading to an enhanced photocatalytic property of the Cu 2 O. 68 It should be noted, however, that the photocatalytic mechanism over such 1D Ag@Cu 2 O core-shell hetero-nanowires is still not completely understood, and a more detailed study is still underway.…”

Facet‐Controlled Synthetic Strategy of Cu2O‐Based Crystals for Catalysis and Sensing

“…Compared to Cu 2 O nanowires72, 81, 104, 105, 106 or nanorods,83, 107 nanospheres,53, 64, 76, 82, 84, 87, 90, 108, 109 hollow structures,42, 57, 67, 73, 79, 94, 95, 101, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114 self‐assembled superstructures,8, 115, 116 and Cu 2 O polyhedra enclosed by high‐index planes,17, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122 the preparation of Cu 2 O polyhedra enclosed by low‐index planes2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 14, 25, 26, 29, 32, 55, 57, 66, 68, 75, 91, 92, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129 is simple and large‐scale. Even more importantly, several novel facet‐controlled routes, including carving,…”

Physical Confinement Promoting Formation of Cu2O–Au Heterostructures with Au Nanoparticles Entrapped within Crystalline Cu2O Nanorods

“…[1][2][3] Integrating plasmonic assemblies into semiconducting materials can increase charge injection, optical path length, and enhance absorption of near IR light. [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] A key challenge that dictates the performance of such metal-semiconductor hybrid materials is achieving a metal-oxide interface that is free of electrically insulating organic ligands. [12][13][14][15][16] Methods to synthesize these materials generally require careful chemical design on a case-by-case basis.…”