Halas N J
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Department of Chemistry, Laboratory for Nanophotonics, Smalley-Curl Institute, and Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, USA.
Faraday Discuss. 2019 May 1;214:13-33. doi: 10.1039/c9fd00001a. Epub 2019 Mar 11.
In these introductory remarks we discuss the generation of nonequilibrium electrons in metals, their properties, and how they can be utilized in two emerging applications: for extending the capabilities of photodetection, and for photocatalysis, lowering the barriers of chemical reactions. Because direct illumination of noble/coinage metal nanoparticles results in the excitation of their localized surface plasmons, these nanostructures can serve as active optical antennas, central to the goal of efficient hot electron generation to drive these processes. Currently, noble/coinage metal nanoparticles are being supplemented by earth-abundant, sustainable alternatives. Herein, we discuss how active optical antennas can expand the wavelength accessibility and alter the properties of traditional photoconductive detectors in new ways. We also examine how active optical antennas, when combined with conventional catalytic nanoparticles in an integrated manner, can convert catalysts into photocatalysts to change chemical product specificities and even alter chemical reaction pathways.
在这些引言性评论中，我们讨论了金属中非平衡电子的产生、它们的性质，以及它们如何在两个新兴应用中得到利用：用于扩展光电探测的能力，以及用于光催化，降低化学反应的势垒。由于对贵金属/硬币金属纳米颗粒的直接照射会导致其局域表面等离子体激元的激发，这些纳米结构可以作为有源光学天线，这对于高效产生热电子以驱动这些过程的目标至关重要。目前，贵金属/硬币金属纳米颗粒正被储量丰富、可持续的替代物所补充。在此，我们讨论有源光学天线如何能够扩展波长可及性，并以新的方式改变传统光电导探测器的性质。我们还研究了有源光学天线与传统催化纳米颗粒以集成方式结合时，如何能够将催化剂转化为光催化剂，以改变化学产物特异性，甚至改变化学反应途径。
