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Wang X, Liu C, Gao C, Yao K, Masouleh SSM, Berté R, Ren H, Menezes LDS, Cortés E, Bicket IC, Wang H, Li N, Zhang Z, Li M, Xie W, Yu Y, Fang Y, Zhang S, Xu H, Vomiero A, Liu Y, Botton GA, Maier SA, Liang H. Self-Constructed Multiple Plasmonic Hotspots on an Individual Fractal to Amplify Broadband Hot Electron Generation. ACS NANO 2021; 15:10553-10564. [PMID: 34114794 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c03218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Plasmonic nanoparticles are ideal candidates for hot-electron-assisted applications, but their narrow resonance region and limited hotspot number hindered the energy utilization of broadband solar energy. Inspired by tree branches, we designed and chemically synthesized silver fractals, which enable self-constructed hotspots and multiple plasmonic resonances, extending the broadband generation of hot electrons for better matching with the solar radiation spectrum. We directly revealed the plasmonic origin, the spatial distribution, and the decay dynamics of hot electrons on the single-particle level by using ab initio simulation, dark-field spectroscopy, pump-probe measurements, and electron energy loss spectroscopy. Our results show that fractals with acute tips and narrow gaps can support broadband resonances (400-1100 nm) and a large number of randomly distributed hotspots, which can provide unpolarized enhanced near field and promote hot electron generation. As a proof-of-concept, hot-electron-triggered dimerization of p-nitropthiophenol and hydrogen production are investigated under various irradiations, and the promoted hot electron generation on fractals was confirmed with significantly improved efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Wang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Low and Medium Grade Energy, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, P.R. China
| | - Changxu Liu
- Chair in Hybrid Nanosystems, Nanoinstitute Munich, Faculty of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, D-80539 München, Germany
| | - Congcong Gao
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, P.R. China
| | - Kaili Yao
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, P.R. China
| | - Seyed Shayan Mousavi Masouleh
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L7, Canada
| | - Rodrigo Berté
- Chair in Hybrid Nanosystems, Nanoinstitute Munich, Faculty of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, D-80539 München, Germany
| | - Haoran Ren
- Chair in Hybrid Nanosystems, Nanoinstitute Munich, Faculty of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, D-80539 München, Germany
| | - Leonardo de S Menezes
- Chair in Hybrid Nanosystems, Nanoinstitute Munich, Faculty of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, D-80539 München, Germany
- Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50670-901 Recife-PE, Brazil
| | - Emiliano Cortés
- Chair in Hybrid Nanosystems, Nanoinstitute Munich, Faculty of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, D-80539 München, Germany
| | - Isobel C Bicket
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L7, Canada
| | - Haiyu Wang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, P.R. China
| | - Ning Li
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, P.R. China
| | - Zhenglong Zhang
- School of Physics and Information Technology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710061, P R. China
| | - Ming Li
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory for Power Metallurgy, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083, P.R. China
| | - Wei Xie
- Key Lab of Advanced Energy Materials Chemistry (Ministry of Education), Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Weijin Road 94, Tianjin 300071, P.R. China
| | - Yifu Yu
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Institute of Molecular Plus, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, P. R. China
| | - Yurui Fang
- Key Laboratory of Materials Modification by Laser, Electron, and Ion Beams (Ministry of Education), School of Physics, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, P.R. China
| | - Shunping Zhang
- School of Physics and Technology, Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, and Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nano-structures of Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P.R. China
| | - Hongxing Xu
- School of Physics and Technology, Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, and Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nano-structures of Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P.R. China
- The Institute for Advanced Studies, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P.R. China
| | - Alberto Vomiero
- Division of Materials Science, Department of Engineering Sciences and Mathematics, Luleå University of Technology, S-97187 Luleå, Sweden
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, I-30172 Venezia Mestre, Italy
| | - Yongchang Liu
- State Key Lab of Hydraulic Engineering Simulation and Safety, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300354, P.R. China
| | - Gianluigi A Botton
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L7, Canada
| | - Stefan A Maier
- Chair in Hybrid Nanosystems, Nanoinstitute Munich, Faculty of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, D-80539 München, Germany
- Department of Physics, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, England
| | - Hongyan Liang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Low and Medium Grade Energy, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, P.R. China
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Nguyen TD, Nahata A, Vardeny ZV. Measurement of surface plasmon correlation length differences using Fibonacci deterministic hole arrays. OPTICS EXPRESS 2012; 20:15222-15231. [PMID: 22772220 DOI: 10.1364/oe.20.015222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Using terahertz (THz) transmission measurements through two-dimensional Fibonacci deterministic subwavelength hole arrays fabricated in metal foils, we find that the surface plasmon-polariton (SPP) correlation lengths for aperiodic resonances are smaller than those associated with the underlying grid. The enhanced transmission spectra associated with these arrays contain two groups of Fano-type resonances: those related to the two-dimensional Fibonacci structure and those related to the underlying hole grid array upon which the aperiodic Fibonacci array is built. For both groups the destructive interference frequencies at which transmission minima occur closely match prominent reciprocal vectors in the hole array (HA) structure-factor in reciprocal space. However the Fibonacci-related transmission resonances are much weaker than both their calculated Fourier intensity in k space and the grid-related resonances. These differences may arise from the complex, multi-fractal dispersion relations and scattering from the underlying grid arrays. We also systematically studied and compared the transmission resonance strength of Fibonacci HA and periodic HA lattices as a function of the number of holes in the array structure. We found that the Fibonacci-related resonance strengths are an order of magnitude weaker than that of the periodic HA, consistent with the smaller SPP correlation length for the aperiodic structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tho Duc Nguyen
- Department of Physics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
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