Nanostructure sensitization of transition metal oxides for visible-light photocatalysis

• Hongjun Chen and
• Lianzhou Wang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 696–710, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.82

• ][86][87]. In comparison with quantum dots sensitized semiconductors the usage of plasmonic nanoparticles as photosensitizers is more stable and environmentally friendlier. The shortcoming of these plasmonic metals is their high price. This holds true for gold in particular. Moreover, the

• photoconversion efficiency of plasmonic nanoparticles photosensitized semiconductors is not as good as that of quantum dots sensitized semiconductors. Plasmon-enhanced photocatalysis is still in an early research stage and the underlying mechanism is unclear. Furthermore, there are contradictory phenomena

• that the resonant wavelength and SPR intensity depend not only on the nature of the metal, but also on the size and shape of the metallic nanostructures. The control of parameters such as composition, size and shape of plasmonic nanoparticles facilitates the design of nanostructures interacting with