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A ternary Pt/Au/TiO2 nanoparticle (NP) decorated plasmonic wood carbon has been successfully fabricated by a simple two‐step calcination method. The as‐prepared Pt/Au/TiO2 NP‐decorated wood carbon showed an interfacial solar steam generation efficiency up to 90.4 %. Furthermore, the floating system exhibits an excellent photodegradation of tetracycline (TC; 40 mg L−1). Up to 94 % degradation was achieved after 80 min of continuous light irradiation (λ>420 nm) with the assistance of solar steam process. The photocatalysis is promoted by the introduction of Pt/Au nanocomponents, which suppress the recombination of electron–hole pairs generated on TiO2 and facilitate electron transfer. High‐performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry was employed to identify the reaction products of the photocatalytic system and a mechanistic insight was also provided. The as‐prepared three‐dimensional plasmonic wood carbon has a high photocatalytic performance. Such wood carbon‐based system is recyclable and scalable for practical and versatile solar‐driven clean water generation. Killing two birds with one wooden block: A ternary Pt/Au/TiO2 decorated plasmonic wood‐carbon‐based floating device was explored for photodegradation of tetracycline (TC). The effective solar steam evaporation capability benefits the contact and mass transfer of contaminants to the catalysts. Further, plasmonic effect of Pt/Au nanoparticles promotes charge separation over TiO2. A high photodegradation rate of TC was achieved under visible‐light irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve reliable and ultrasensitive detection for disease markers in PEC bioanalysis, constructing and nano-engineering of ideal photoelectrodes and signal transduction strategies are of vital importance. Herein, a non-/noble metal coupled plasmonic nanostructure (TiO 2 /r-STO/Au) was tactically designed with high-efficient PEC performance. Evidenced by the DFT and FDTD calculations, the reduced SrTiO 3 (r-STO) was found to support the localized surface plasmon resonance due to the sufficiently increased and delocalized local charge in r-STO. Under the synergistic coupling of plasmonic r-STO and AuNPs, the PEC performance of TiO 2 /r-STO/Au was found remarkably promoted with reduced onset potential. This merit supported TiO 2 /r-STO/Au as a self-powered immunoassay via a proposed oxygen-evolution-reaction mediated signal transduction strategy. With the increase of the target biomolecules (PSA), the catalytic active sites of TiO 2 /r-STO/Au would be blocked and result in the decrease of the oxygen evaluation reaction. Under optimal conditions, the immunoassays exhibited an excellent detection performance with a LOD as low as 1.1 fg/mL. This work proposed a new type of plasmonic nanomaterial for ultrasensitive PEC bioanalysis. [Display omitted] • A non-/noble metal coupled plasmonic photoelectrode (TiO 2 /r-STO/Au) was designed. • A self-powered immunoassay via an OER-mediated signal transduction strategy was developed. • An ultrasensitive detection performance was achieved for PSA detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A plasmon-enhanced Z-Scheme heterostructure (TiO 2 /Au/ZnIn 2 S 4 O S) is prepared. • A significantly improved PEC performance of TiO 2 /Au/ZnIn 2 S 4 O S is achieved. • The multifunctionality of Au nanodots in boosting the PEC catalytic performance is clarified. The Z-scheme photoelectrochemical (PEC) catalytic system that mimics natural photosynthesis is considered an encouraging method to improve the catalytic activities of the catalysts and finally address the global energy crisis. Herein, a plasmon-enhanced Z-Scheme heterostructure is synthesized via interface-structure-designing and defect-engineering. The optimized TiO 2 /Au/ZnIn 2 S 4 O S exhibits an excellent PEC catalytic activity with a photocurrent density of 3.80 mA/cm2 at 1.23 V (vs RHE), which is 2.1 times higher than that of TiO 2 nanorod arrays. The density functional theory (DFT) calculation results demonstrate that the synergy of O, S-defects can tailor the charge density distribution and electronic structure of ZnIn 2 S 4 , which effectively improves the electrical conductivity of the photocatalyst. The kinetic and thermodynamic behavior investigation, as well as theoretical simulations, indicate that the successful construction of the Z-scheme system can significantly improve the redox capacity and photo-excited electron-hole separation efficiency of the catalysts, thereby promoting the water oxidation activity. Furthermore, the Au nanodots sandwiched between TiO 2 and ZnIn 2 S 4 O S are found to play multifunctional roles in boosting the PEC catalytic performance. This work provides a valuable approach to constructing defects-dominated Z-scheme systems at the atomic scale and sheds light on new insight into the LSPR effect for improving the catalytic performance in Z-scheme systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A plasmonic Z-scheme catalyst (TiO 2 /NH 2 -MIL-125/Au) was designed and constructed. • The Z-scheme architecture endowed TiO 2 /NH 2 -MIL-125/Au with stronger redox capability. • The surface plasmon resonance of AuNPs improved the charge separation of the catalyst. • A remarkably improved photocurrent density for TiO 2 /NH 2 -MIL-125/Au has been achieved. Developing and nano-engineering of photoanodes with high solar energy utilization and charge separation efficiency is urgently desirable in photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting for renewable energy sources. Herein, a novel synergistic coupling catalyst (TiO 2 /NH 2 -MIL-125/Au) is constructed by integrating MOFs-based Z-scheme catalysts with the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra and theoretical calculation indicate that the charge transfer path follows the Z-scheme principle and the SPR effect of AuNPs remarkably enhances the electromagnetic (EM) field at the coupling region acting as hot spots. Such superiority in physical structures endows TiO 2 / NH 2 -MIL-125/Au with stronger redox capability and improved charge separation efficiency. Correspondingly, the plasmon coupled Z-scheme catalyst exhibits excellent PEC performance with a 2.2-fold enhancement in comparison with the pristine TiO 2 nanotube arrays. This work develops a novel synergistic coupling model by integrating the plasmonic effect with biomimetic Z-scheme systems and sheds light on a deep understanding of plasmon-enhanced Z-scheme catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]