Abstract
Plasmonic metal-semiconductor heterostructure has become the most
prominent content for water splitting by photocatalytic means. It is thought to be an
effective, clean, and affordable energy source. Hydrolysis, water splitting, and
destruction of organic dyes have all demonstrated the high efficiency of LSPR
formation by these materials. A noble metal combined with a low bandgap
semiconductor makes for the perfect photocatalyst. In this case, both semiconductors
and noble metals can absorb visible light. They are prone to producing positive and
negative pairs and inhibit their recombination, causing the resulting electron-hole pairs
to interact with the chemicals in the immediate environment, thereby increasing
photocatalytic activity. The strong SPR's combined effect with the efficient separation
of photogenerated electrons and holes supported by noble metal particles can be
credited with the increased photocatalytic activity. It has become a useful method for
overcoming the limitations of conventional photocatalysts and promoting
photocatalytic mechanisms.
This book chapter has three main goals: briefly describing plasmonic dynamics,
explaining the preparation techniques, analyzing the key characteristics of the
plasmonic metal nanostructure that influence photocatalysis, summarizing the reported
literature, and offering an in-depth explanation of the four fundamental plasmonic
energy transfer process.