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Although the optical properties of localized surface plasmon resonance and the relaxation processes of excited hot electrons in gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been well understood, the phenomena that occur when AuNPs relax on solid surfaces of semiconductors or insulators remain largely unknown. Thermal energy diffusion and electron transfer are relatively simple physical processes, but the phenomena they induce are interesting because of a variety of new application developments. In this Perspective, we introduce the fundamental aspects as well as advanced applications of several new physical phenomena induced by AuNPs-based hybrid materials with oxides or 2D materials. Localized heat can induce a great force on the surrounding medium to control mass transport, and plasmon-induced charge transfer reactions are expected to have applications in photocatalysis and solar cells. We also review increasing reports on the development of nano-optical sensors, transistors, and nano-light sources based on precisely controlled device structures utilizing AuNPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the strong sunlight-absorption property of WS2 and the good photocatalytic activity of BiOCl, a solar-light-active Z-scheme BiOCl@WS2 nanocomposite photocatalyst was synthesized by a precipitation approach. The developed photocatalyst was systematically characterized using available precision instruments. The photocatalytic property of the synthesized photocatalyst toward methyl orange (MO), rhodamine B (RhB), and crystal violet (CV) as anionic and cationic model organic dyes was investigated. In addition, the influence of operational factors, such as the catalyst dose, dye concentration, and pH, on the photocatalytic performance of the proposed photocatalyst was examined. The degree of mineralization of the fabricated Z-scheme BiOCl@WS2 nanocomposite photocatalyst during photodegradation of CV was also evaluated via total organic content (TOC) measurements. The findings showed that the developed Z-scheme BiOCl@WS2 nanocomposite exhibited excellent photocatalytic properties toward the organic pollutants MO, RhB, and CV. Moreover, the nanocomposite exhibited a better photocatalytic activity when compared with that of the solar-light-active photocatalysts reported in the open literature. It also displayed the potential to photocatalytically degrade 81% of MO, 100% of RhB, and 95% of CV within 120 min. Besides, 88% of CV could be mineralized by the fabricated photocatalyst in two hours. The outstanding photocatalytic performance of the Z-scheme BiOCl@WS2 nanocomposite could be attributed to the narrow band gap, large surface area, extended optical activity, and suppressed charge recombination rate. Thus, this work opens the door for developing effective, efficient, and stable solar-light-active photocatalysts for the photodegradation of organic dyes in wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports the synthesis of quaternary copper nickel tin sulfide (Cu2NiSnS4) thin films using two different strategies and their physico-chemical properties. The first strategy includes co-evaporation of copper–nickel-tin–sulfur (CNTS) followed by sulfurization and the secondstrategy includes co-evaporation of copper–nickel–tin (CNT) followed by sulfurization. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) study reveals that the film prepared by both strategies has a polycrystalline Kesterite structure. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis shows densely covered CNTS all over the substrate. The optical analysis of both CNTS films exhibits absorption of visible wavelength in an optimal range. The CNTS thin film synthesized using thermal evaporation technique followed by sulfurization has the potential to exhibit better photovoltaic properties for solar cell applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Syntheses of corrosion protective poly(aniline-co-o-anisidine) (PAOA) coatings were carried out on mild steel by the electrochemical copolymerization of aniline with o-anisidine under cyclic voltammetry conditions. An aqueous salicylate solution [...]