Directed Surface Plasmon Resonance for Hot-Carrier Applications

A special issue of Crystals (ISSN 2073-4352). This special issue belongs to the section "Hybrid and Composite Crystalline Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 August 2021) | Viewed by 14499

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Adelphi, MD, USA
Interests: energy conversion; photocatalysis; nanomaterials; plasmonics; energy storage; semiconductors

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Guest Editor
Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane, IN 47522, USA
Interests: plasmonics; 2D materials; electro-optics; infrared sensors; photochemistry; energy harvesting

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plasmonic nanomaterials have generated considerable interest owing to their ability to localize electromagnetic energy below the diffraction limit by coupling into coherent oscillations of conduction electrons, i.e., surface plasmon resonance (SPR).  Although initially viewed as a parasitic process, interest in harnessing energetically “hot” SPR carriers has renewed over the last decade and opened new scientific perspectives for application of engineered plasmonic materials. Recent research efforts have ranged from fundamental theory in quantum plasmonics to augmenting photoelectrochemical reactions by harnessing specific energy conversion pathways to data-driven inverse design of materials. Potential integration spaces span optoelectronic telecommunication, high-density data storage, chemical catalysis, novel manufacturing methods, energy scavenging, therapeutic and diagnostic medicine, heat management, and photodetectors.

In this Special Issue of Crystals, recent theoretical and experimental advances are highlighted that offer new insights, methods, applications, and future directions in “hot” carrier plasmonics for photochemical energy storage/conversion and electro-optic detectors. This Special Issue presents an opportunity to present the most recent discoveries in this interdisciplinary and evolving research field.

Major research themes for this Special Issue to be considered, but not limited to, include:

  1. Conceptual and theoretical frameworks in plasmonics and quantum transport processes
  2. Synthetic assembly and growth of plasmonic colloids, structures, and films
  3. Plasmonic materials beyond noble metals, e.g., refractory metals or conducting oxides
  4. Deep learning and inverse design strategies for application-tailored plasmonic materials/heterostructures
  5. Nanoplasmonic spectroscopies and microscopies with enhanced spatiotemporal resolution that utilize “hot” carriers or measure their properties
  6. Plasmon-driven chemistries for catalytic, environmental, and emerging applications
  7. Active and passive plasmonic photodetection spanning visible to far-infrared spectrums

Dr. Jonathan Boltersdorf
Dr. Gregory T. Forcherio
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • Plasmon resonance
  • Hot carriers
  • Nanomaterials
  • Metamaterials
  • Surface optics
  • Nanochemistry
  • Catalytic energy conversion
  • Infrared photodetectors
  • Structure-function relationships

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Editorial

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2 pages, 163 KiB  
Editorial
Directed Surface Plasmon Resonance for Hot Carrier Applications
by Gregory T. Forcherio and Jonathan Boltersdorf
Crystals 2021, 11(12), 1497; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst11121497 - 2 Dec 2021
Viewed by 1130
Abstract
The Special Issue, entitled Directed Surface Plasmon Resonance for Hot Carrier Applications, is a collection of four original articles centered around harnessing energetically “hot” carriers in tailored plasmonic materials for emergent applications in energy harvesting and sensing [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Directed Surface Plasmon Resonance for Hot-Carrier Applications)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

10 pages, 2090 KiB  
Communication
Visible Light-Induced Reactivity of Plasmonic Gold Nanoparticles Incorporated into TiO2 Matrix towards 2-Chloroethyl Ethyl Sulfide
by Wesley Gordon, Alex Balboa, Spencer Giles, Albert Epshteyn, Oscar Ávalos-Ovando, Alexander Govorov, Monica McEntee and Olga Baturina
Crystals 2021, 11(6), 659; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst11060659 - 10 Jun 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2684
Abstract
Inexpensive strategies for efficient decontamination of hazardous chemicals are required. In this study, the effect of visible light (λ > 400 nm) on the decomposition of 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (2-CEES, a sulfur mustard (HD) simulant) on Au/TiO2 photocatalyst under anaerobic and aerobic [...] Read more.
Inexpensive strategies for efficient decontamination of hazardous chemicals are required. In this study, the effect of visible light (λ > 400 nm) on the decomposition of 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (2-CEES, a sulfur mustard (HD) simulant) on Au/TiO2 photocatalyst under anaerobic and aerobic conditions has been investigated in situ by diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier –transformed spectroscopy (DRIFTS). Under anaerobic conditions, 2-CEES partially desorbs from the Au/TiO2 surface likely due to the photothermal effect, induced by photo-excited plasmonic Au nanoparticles. In the aerobic experiment, no visible light effect is observed. We attribute this behavior to 2-CEES consumption by hydrolysis to 2-ethylthio ethanol in the dark, prior to visible light excitation. Oxygen activates water molecules in the dark, resulting in accelerated 2-CEES hydrolysis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Directed Surface Plasmon Resonance for Hot-Carrier Applications)
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19 pages, 5015 KiB  
Article
Plasmonic Au–Pd Bimetallic Nanocatalysts for Hot-Carrier-Enhanced Photocatalytic and Electrochemical Ethanol Oxidation
by Jonathan Boltersdorf, Asher C. Leff, Gregory T. Forcherio and David R. Baker
Crystals 2021, 11(3), 226; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst11030226 - 25 Feb 2021
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 4116
Abstract
Gold–palladium (Au–Pd) bimetallic nanostructures with engineered plasmon-enhanced activity sustainably drive energy-intensive chemical reactions at low temperatures with solar simulated light. A series of alloy and core–shell Au–Pd nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared to synergistically couple plasmonic (Au) and catalytic (Pd) metals to tailor their [...] Read more.
Gold–palladium (Au–Pd) bimetallic nanostructures with engineered plasmon-enhanced activity sustainably drive energy-intensive chemical reactions at low temperatures with solar simulated light. A series of alloy and core–shell Au–Pd nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared to synergistically couple plasmonic (Au) and catalytic (Pd) metals to tailor their optical and catalytic properties. Metal-based catalysts supporting a localized surface plasmon resonance (SPR) can enhance energy-intensive chemical reactions via augmented carrier generation/separation and photothermal conversion. Titania-supported Au–Pd bimetallic (i) alloys and (ii) core–shell NPs initiated the ethanol (EtOH) oxidation reaction under solar-simulated irradiation, with emphasis toward driving carbon–carbon (C–C) bond cleavage at low temperatures. Plasmon-assisted complete oxidation of EtOH to CO2, as well as intermediary acetaldehyde, was examined by monitoring the yield of gaseous products from suspended particle photocatalysis. Photocatalytic, electrochemical, and photoelectrochemical (PEC) results are correlated with Au–Pd composition and homogeneity to maintain SPR-induced charge separation and mitigate the carbon monoxide poisoning effects on Pd. Photogenerated holes drive the photo-oxidation of EtOH primarily on the Au-Pd bimetallic nanocatalysts and photothermal effects improve intermediate desorption from the catalyst surface, providing a method to selectively cleave C–C bonds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Directed Surface Plasmon Resonance for Hot-Carrier Applications)
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9 pages, 3960 KiB  
Article
Hot Electron Plasmon-Resonant Grating Structures for Enhanced Photochemistry: A Theoretical Study
by Indu Aravind, Yu Wang, Zhi Cai, Lang Shen, Bofan Zhao, Sisi Yang, Yi Wang, Jahan M. Dawlaty, George N. Gibson, Ernest Guignon, Nathaniel C. Cady, William D. Page, Arturo Pilar and Stephen B. Cronin
Crystals 2021, 11(2), 118; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst11020118 - 26 Jan 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2283
Abstract
Metallic grating structures have been shown to provide an effective platform for generating hot electrons and driving electrochemical reactions. Here, we present a systematic theoretical study of the surface plasmon resonance in different corrugated metallic grating structures using computational electromagnetic tools (i.e., the [...] Read more.
Metallic grating structures have been shown to provide an effective platform for generating hot electrons and driving electrochemical reactions. Here, we present a systematic theoretical study of the surface plasmon resonance in different corrugated metallic grating structures using computational electromagnetic tools (i.e., the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method). We identify the corrugation parameters that produce maximum resonant field enhancement at commonly used wavelengths for photocatalytic applications (633 nm and 785 nm) in different material systems, including Ag, Au, Cu, Al, and Pt. The absorption spectra of each grating structure have been fitted with the analytical equation obtained from Coupled Mode Theory. We then extracted the absorptive and radiative loss rates. The field enhancement can be maximized by matching the absorption and radiation losses via tuning the geometric parameters. We could improve the average field enhancement of 633 nm and 785 nm modes by a factor of 1.8× and 3.8× for Ag, 1.4× and 3.6× for Au, and 1.2× and 2.6× for Cu. The optimum structures are found to be shallower for Ag, Au, and Cu; deeper for Pt; and to almost remain the same for Al. The gratings become flat for all the metals for increasing the average field enhancement. Overall, Ag and Au were found to be the best in terms of overall field enhancement while Pt had the worst performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Directed Surface Plasmon Resonance for Hot-Carrier Applications)
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9 pages, 1450 KiB  
Article
Optimization and Prediction of Spectral Response of Metasurfaces Using Artificial Intelligence
by Raktim Sarma, Michael Goldflam, Emily Donahue, Abigail Pribisova, Sylvain Gennaro, Jeremy Wright, Igal Brener and Jayson Briscoe
Crystals 2020, 10(12), 1114; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst10121114 - 6 Dec 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3420
Abstract
Hot-electron generation has been a topic of intense research for decades for numerous applications ranging from photodetection and photochemistry to biosensing. Recently, the technique of hot-electron generation using non-radiative decay of surface plasmons excited by metallic nanoantennas, or meta-atoms, in a metasurface has [...] Read more.
Hot-electron generation has been a topic of intense research for decades for numerous applications ranging from photodetection and photochemistry to biosensing. Recently, the technique of hot-electron generation using non-radiative decay of surface plasmons excited by metallic nanoantennas, or meta-atoms, in a metasurface has attracted attention. These metasurfaces can be designed with thicknesses on the order of the hot-electron diffusion length. The plasmonic resonances of these ultrathin metasurfaces can be tailored by changing the shape and size of the meta-atoms. One of the fundamental mechanisms leading to generation of hot-electrons in such systems is optical absorption, therefore, optimization of absorption is a key step in enhancing the performance of any metasurface based hot-electron device. Here we utilized an artificial intelligence-based approach, the genetic algorithm, to optimize absorption spectra of plasmonic metasurfaces. Using genetic algorithm optimization strategies, we designed a polarization insensitive plasmonic metasurface with 90% absorption at 1550 nm that does not require an optically thick ground plane. We fabricated and optically characterized the metasurface and our experimental results agree with simulations. Finally, we present a convolutional neural network that can predict the absorption spectra of metasurfaces never seen by the network, thereby eliminating the need for computationally expensive simulations. Our results suggest a new direction for optimizing hot-electron based photodetectors and sensors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Directed Surface Plasmon Resonance for Hot-Carrier Applications)
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