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Gold Nanorods Coated Metallic Photonic Crystal for Enhanced HotElectron Transfer in Electrochemical Cells

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 December 2015

A. Elfaer ,
Y. Wang ,
X. H. Li ,
J. B. Chou  and
S-G. Kim
A. Elfaer
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, U.S.A. Dammam University, Saudi Arabia.
Y. Wang
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, U.S.A.
X. H. Li
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, U.S.A.
J. B. Chou
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, U.S.A.
S-G. Kim*
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, U.S.A.
*
*(Email: sangkim@mit.edu)
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Abstract

We recently demonstrated a sub-bandgap photoresponse with our wafer-scaleAu/TiO2 metallic-semiconductor photonic crystals (MSPhC). Thesub-bandgap energy with 590 nm peak could be absorbed in the form of hotelectron and injected to TiO2, which provides 5.28 times more energyfor photolysis than that of energy absorbed to flat TiO2. If thesolar energy already absorbed above 700 nm could be injected to the catalyst,higher than 10 times improvement will be achieved, and above 20% solar to fuelefficiency will be feasible with the robust but inefficient TiO2catalyst. In order to achieve photocurrent near and above 700 nm spectrum, wedeposited gold nanorods on the surface of MSPhC to incur localized surfaceplasmon (LSP) modes absorption and subsequent injection to the TiO2catalyst. We used electrophoretic deposition (EPD) method to deposit nanorods onthe top, sidewall and bottom well surface of the photonic nanocavities. Thedeposition of nanorods was achieved reasonably uniform and sparse not to blockthe optical cavities of MSPhC. Flat gold surfaces were tested at 4 differentsuspension densities to get the optimum gold nanorods density. Under 10V appliedelectric field, positively charged gold nanorods at the concentration of6.52×1013 #/mL could deposit MSPhC surfacewith the density of 230 #/µm2, which was reasonablyuniform and sparse. Preliminary tests show an absorbance increase near 700 nm onflat device coated with gold nanorods. Photocurrent measurement is under way todemonstrate the enhanced hot electron transfer over full visible light andnear-infrared solar spectrum.

Keywords

absorptioncoatingelectrodeposition

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Type
Articles
Information
MRS Advances , Volume 1 , Issue 13: Nanomaterials and Synthesis , 2016 , pp. 831 - 837
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2015 

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References

REFERENCES

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