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Increased attention has been directed toward generating nonequilibrium hot carriers resulting from the decay of collective electronic oscillations on metal known as surface plasmons. Despite numerous experimental endeavors, demonstrating hot carrier-mediated photocatalysis without a heating contribution has proven challenging, particularly for single electron transfer reactions where the thermal contribution is generally detrimental. An innovative engineering solution is proposed to enable single electron transfer reactions with plasmonics. It consists of a photoelectrode designed as an energy filter and photocatalysis performed with light function modulation instead of continuously. The photoelectrode, consisting of FTO/TiO2 amorphous (10 nm)/Au nanoparticles, with TiO2 acting as a step-shape energy filter to enhance hot electron extraction and charge-separated state lifetime. The extracted hot electrons were directed toward the counter electrode, while the hot holes performed a single electron transfer oxidation reaction. Light modulation prevented local heat accumulation, effectively decoupling hot carrier catalysis from the thermal contribution.

Plasmon-enhanced electrocatalysis (PEEC), based on a combination of localized surface plasmon resonance excitation and an electrochemical bias applied to a plasmonic material, can result in improved electrical-to-chemical energy conversion compared to conventional electrocatalysis. Here, we demonstrate the advantages of nano-impact single-entity electrochemistry (SEE) for investigating the intrinsic activity of plasmonic catalysts at the single-particle level using glucose electrooxidation and oxygen reduction on gold nanoparticles as model reactions. We show that in conventional ensemble measurements, plasmonic effects have minimal impact on photocurrents. We suggest that this is due to the continuous equilibration of the Fermi level (EF) of the deposited gold nanoparticles with the EF of the working electrode, leading to fast neutralization of hot carriers by the measuring circuit. The photocurrents detected in the ensemble measurements are primarily caused by photo-induced heating of the supporting electrode material. In SEE, the EF of suspended gold nanoparticles is unaffected by the working electrode potential. As a result, plasmonic effects are the dominant source of photocurrents under SEE experimental conditions.

X-ray spectroscopy is a demanded tool across multiple user communities. Here we report on a new station for X-ray emission spectroscopy at the Extreme Light Infrastructure Beamlines Facility. The instrument utilizes the von Hamos geometry and works with a number of different sample types, notably including liquid systems. We demonstrate a simple and reliable method for source position control using two cameras. This approach addresses energy calibration dependence on sample position, which is a characteristic source of measurement uncertainty for wavelength dispersive spectrometers in XES arrangement. We also present a straightforward procedure for energy calibration of liquid and powder samples to a thin film reference. The developed instrumentation enabled us to perform the first experimental determination of the K alpha lines of liquidized K3Fe(CN)6 as well as powdered and liquidized FeNH4(SO4)2. Finally, we report on proof-of-principle use of a colliding jet liquid sample delivery system in an XES experiment.

Anatase titanium dioxide is a common photocatalyst with limited application scope due to its wide band gap energy. Valence and conduction band doping have long been used to narrow TiO2 band gap energy. The effectiveness of the process is highly dependent on the procedure adopted, and its underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. Importantly, optical changes caused by bulk doping are not always represented at the surface where the catalysis occurs. Therefore, methodologies sensitive to bulk and surface modifications are key for a holistic understanding of the doping mechanism and its effect on photocatalysis quantum yield. Herein, it is proposed the use of X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) with different probing depths to elucidate the chemical composition of bulk and surface. Soft XAS was employed to determine the chemical state of typical dopants (N and Cu) in TiO2 thin films. The XAS measurements at N K-edge and Cu L-2,L-3-edge were performed in surface and bulk-sensitive detection modes, providing direct insight into the surface-bulk effects caused by the dopants. In the case of copper doping in the TiO2 conduction band, the data show the formation of Cu2+ in the bulk states. In contrast, the surface states are dominated by Cu+ components resulting from surface termination geometries. Moreover, X-ray absorption spectra confirmed that the substitutional mechanism is the dominant process in Cu doping. The nitrogen doping was found to be interstitial, causing minor changes to the band structure but affecting the photoluminescence. The proposed methodology closes the gap in knowledge between materials design and photocatalytic performance by establishing atoms' disposition in bulk that affects electronic properties and on the surface that impacts the catalytic cycle.

Photoredox catalysis's relevance in organic synthesis research and innovation will increase in the coming decades. However, the processes rely almost exclusively on expensive noble metal complexes, most notably iridium complexes, to absorb light and transfer a single charge to a substrate or a catalyst to initiate cascade transformations. Light-triggered plasmon resonances generate a non-Fermi-Dirac energy distribution with many hot carriers that decay in similar to 1 ps. Their ultrafast relaxation makes performing single electron transfer (SET) transformations challenging. Herein, a novel photosystem is proposed based on surface-modified gold nanoparticles (aka plasmon "molecularization"), which improved charge separation and, more importantly, enabled SET reactions, expanding the portfolio of photocatalysts available for photoredox catalysis. The photosystem was made into an electrode, permitting its use in photoelectrochemical arrangements that leverage electro- and photo-chemical approaches' benefits and chemical engineering solutions, helping the synthetic chemistry efforts towards greener synthesis and synthesis of more complex structures on a scale.

Optical upconversion via a multiphoton absorption processconvertsincoherent low-energy photons to shorter wavelengths. In this contribution,we report a solid-state thin film for infrared-to-visible upconversioncomposed of plasmonic/TiO2 interfaces. When excited at & lambda; = 800 nm, three photons are absorbed, leading to the excitationof TiO2 trap states into an emissive state in the visibledomain. The plasmonic nanoparticle enhances the light absorption capabilitiesof the semiconductor, increasing emission efficiency by 20 times.We demonstrate that the plasmonic nanoparticle only changes the opticalabsorption of the semiconductor; i.e., the process is purely photonic.The process occurs in the ultrafast domain (<10 ps), contrastingwith molecular triplet-triplet exciton annihilation, the commonlyused method in photon upconversion, in the nano- to microsecond timescales. The process utilizes pre-existing trap states within the semiconductorbandgap and involves three-photon absorption.

There is an urgent need for efficient solutionprocessable p-type semiconductors. Copper(I) iodide (CuI) has attracted attention as a potential candidate due to its good electrical properties and ease of preparation. However, its carrier dynamics still need to be better understood. Carrier dynamics after bandgap excitation yielded a convoluted signal of free carriers (positive signal) and a negative feature, which was also present when the material was excited with sub-bandgap excitation energies. This previously unseen feature was found to be dependent on measurement temperature and attributed to negative photoconductivity. The unexpected signal relates to the formation of polarons or strongly bound excitons. The possibility of coupling CuI to plasmonic sensitizers is also tested, yielding positive results. The outcomes mentioned above could have profound implications regarding the applicability of CuI in photocatalytic and photovoltaic systems and could also open a whole new range of possible applications.

Lead bromide perovskites have a larger band gap and are significantly more stable than their iodine counterparts, offering the perspective for higher voltage, tandem photovoltaics exceeding the Shockley-Queisser limit, and shorter time to deployment of photovoltaics. However, their efficiencies still need to be rivaling the iodine ones. Herein, the photophysics of FAPbBr(3) and the ones behind electron transfer from FAPbBr(3) to SnO2, one of the most effective electron transporting materials (ETMs), are reported. Time- and energy-resolved photoluminescence studies revealed the existence of two emitting states in the perovskite, which were assigned to bounded excitons and free carriers. SnO2 extracted electrons from excitons and free carriers, with a selectivity related to the SnO2 surface treatment. This new insight helps explain SnO2's unique qualities as an ETM to produce photovoltaics with reduced voltage losses. Furthermore, this study illustrates the importance of performing time- and energy-resolved photoluminescence to capture the intricacies of the photophysical process.

Changes in agricultural practices enabled the circulation of N-containing species, making converting nitrate into ammonia (fertilizer) highly desirable. Herein, we propose a photosystem composed of NiO/Au plasmon/TiO2 that selectively produces ammonia from nitrates at neutral pH and room temperature with visible light via a combination of electrochemical and plasmon hot electrons (i.e., it is a photoelectrochemical process). The system effectively suppresses the undesirable hydrogen evolution reaction and converts the superfluous hot holes into atmospheric oxygen. The role of the hot electrons is to boost catalytic performance, enabling higher reaction rates at lower potentials. The process paves the way for agricultural practices that recycle nutrients, improving process circularity and reducing fertilizer costs.

The existing literature survey reports rare and conflicting studies on the effect of the preparation method of metal-based semiconductor photocatalysts on structural/morphological features, electronic properties, and kinetics regulating the photocatalytic H-2 generation reaction. In this investigation, we compare the different copper/titania-based photocatalysts for H-2 generation synthesized via distinct methods (i.e., photodeposition and impregnation). Our study aims to establish a stringent correlation between physicochemical/electronic properties and photocatalytic performances for H-2 generation based on material characterization and kinetic modeling of the experimental outcomes. Estimating unknown kinetic parameters, such as charge recombination rate and quantum yield, suggests a mechanism regulating charge carrier lifetime depending on copper distribution on the TiO2 surface. We demonstrate that H-2 generation photoefficiency recorded over impregnated CuxOy/TiO2 is related to an even distribution of Cu(0)/Cu(I) on TiO2, and the formation of an Ohmic junction concertedly extended charge carrier lifetime and separation. The outcomes of the kinetic analysis and the related modeling investigation underpin photocatalyst physicochemical and electronic properties. Overall, the present study lays the groundwork for the future design of metal-based semiconductor photocatalysts with high photoefficiencies for H-2 evolution.

Bromide-based perovskites have large bandgaps, making them attractive for tandem solar cells developed to overcome the Shockley–Queisser limit. A perovskite solar cell architecture employs transporting layers to improve charge extraction and transport. Due to the wide variety of materials and preparation methods, it is critical to devise fast screening methods to rank transporting layers. Herein, we evaluate perovskite fluorescence quenching followed by time- and energy-resolved photoluminescence (TER-PL) and analyse the intensity dependence as a potential method to qualify charge-transporting layers rapidly. The capability of the technique was evaluated with TiO2/FAPbBr3 and SnO2/FAPbBr3, the most commonly used electron transporting layers, which were prepared using standard protocols to make best-performing devices. The results revealed that TiO2 is the most effective quencher due to the higher density of states in the conduction band, consistent with Marcus-Gerischer's theory. However, record-performance devices use SnO2 as the electron transport layer. This shows that the relationship between photoluminescence quenching and device performance is not bidirectional. Therefore, additional measurements like conductivity are also needed to provide reliable feedback for device performance.

The majority of visible light-active plasmonic catalysts are often limited to Au, Ag, Cu, Al, etc., which have considerations in terms of costs, accessibility, and instability. Here, we show hydroxy-terminated nickel nitride (Ni3N) nanosheets as an alternative to these metals. The Ni3N nanosheets catalyze CO2 hydrogenation with a high CO production rate (1212 mmol g(-1) h(-1)) and selectivity (99%) using visible light. Reaction rate shows super-linear power law dependence on the light intensity, while quantum efficiencies increase with an increase in light intensity and reaction temperature. The transient absorption experiments reveal that the hydroxyl groups increase the number of hot electrons available for photocatalysis. The in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy shows that the CO2 hydrogenation proceeds via the direct dissociation pathway. The excellent photocatalytic performance of these Ni3N nanosheets (without co-catalysts or sacrificial agents) is suggestive of the use of metal nitrides instead of conventional plasmonic metal nanoparticles.

In this work, we have designed and synthesized nickel-laden dendritic plasmonic colloidosomes of Au (black gold-Ni). The photocatalytic CO2 hydrogenation activities of black gold-Ni increased dramatically to the extent that measurable photoactivity was only observed with the black gold-Ni catalyst, with a very high photocatalytic CO production rate (2464 +/- 40 mmol gNi-1 h-1) and 95% selectivity. Notably, the reaction was carried out in a flow reactor at low temperature and atmospheric pressure without external heating. The catalyst was stable for at least 100 h. Ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy studies indicated indirect hot-electron transfer from the black gold to Ni in less than 100 fs, corroborated by a reduction in Au-plasmon electron-phonon lifetime and a bleach signal associated with Ni d-band filling. Photocatalytic reaction rates on excited black gold-Ni showed a superlinear power law dependence on the light intensity, with a power law exponent of 5.6, while photocatalytic quantum efficiencies increased with an increase in light intensity and reaction temperature, which indicated the hot-electron-mediated mechanism. The kinetic isotope effect (KIE) in light (1.91) was higher than that in the dark (similar to 1), which further indicated the electron-driven plasmonic CO2 hydrogenation. Black gold-Ni catalyzed CO2 hydrogenation in the presence of an electron-accepting molecule, methyl-p-benzoquinone, reduced the CO production rate, asserting the hot-electron-mediated mechanism. Operando diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) showed that CO2 hydrogenation took place by a direct dissociation path via linearly bonded Ni-CO intermediates. The outstanding catalytic performance of black gold-Ni may provide a way to develop plasmonic catalysts for CO2 reduction and other catalytic processes using black gold.