Plasmonic Alloy Catalysts for Solar Fuels and Chemical Conversion

This chapter covers the introduction and design of plasmonic nanoalloy catalysts for photochemical transformation reactions. It summarises various approaches for constructing an efficient photocatalyst based on plasmonic nanostructures for solar-driven H 2 production. We have emphasised different strategies used to enhance the lifetime of the photogenic charge carriers so that they can participate in the redox reaction of the substrate molecules. This chapter describes the theoretical aspects of plasmonic catalysis and explores the surface plasmon phenomenon of the metal nanoparticles. It discusses the significance of multimetallic nanoalloys with enhanced catalytic ability compared to monometallic plasmonic catalysts. The commonly employed characterisation techniques, such as UV-vis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and XAS, are discussed in detail to get the details regarding the electronic structure and absorption spectra of plasmonic nanostructures. A theoretical analysis of decaying processes such as field enhancement, heating, and charge carrier generation and transfer is also included. The catalytic application of plasmonic nanocatalysts in the dehydrogenation of ammonia borane has been discussed under photo irradiation conditions. Insulating and semiconducting support materials can further enhance plasmonic material’s catalytic ability, and the construction of an interface between plasmonic nanostructures and support materials will be discussed.