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arXiv · 1103.0360

Plasmon Enhanced Solar-to-Fuel Energy Conversion

I. Thomann·B. A. Pinaud·Z. Chen·B. M. Clemens·T. F. Jaramillo·Mark. L. Brongersma
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Abstract

Future generations of photoelectrodes for solar fuel generation must employ inexpensive, earth-abundant absorber materials in order to provide a large-scale source of clean energy. These materials tend to have poor electrical transport properties and exhibit carrier diffusion lengths which are significantly shorter than the absorption depth of light. As a result, many photo-excited carriers are generated too far from a reactive surface, and recombine instead of participating in solar-to-fuel-conversion. We demonstrate that plasmonic resonances in metallic nanostructures and multi-layer interference effects can be engineered to strongly concentrate sunlight close to the electrode/liquid interface, precisely where the relevant reactions take place. By comparing spectral features in the enhanced photocurrent spectra to full-field electromagnetic simulations, the contribution of surface plasmon excitations is verified. These results open the door to the optimization of a wide variety of photochemical processes by leveraging the rapid advances in the field of plasmonics.

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I. Thomann, B. A. Pinaud, Z. Chen, B. M. Clemens, T. F. Jaramillo, Mark. L. Brongersma. 2011-03-02. Plasmon Enhanced Solar-to-Fuel Energy Conversion. https://doi.org/10.1021/nl201908s

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