Hydrogenation and plasmon-enhanced photocatalytic activity of rhenium oxide nanosheets.

In this study, we synthesized spherical mixed-valence rhenium oxide (MVReO) nanoparticles with localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) covering visible and NIR region. The spherical MVReO nanoparticles were converted into hydrogen rhenium bronze (H x ReO 3) nanosheets when dispersed in aqueous solution due to the hydrogen insertion into lattice. More importantly, the H x ReO 3 nanosheets exhibit enhanced LSPR strength and red-shifted LSPR wavelength. The dispersion of H x ReO 3 in aqueous solution provides a fascinating way for the light-harvesting enhancement as well as a compatible way for the subsequent growth of CdS to form H x ReO 3 -CdS. The photocatalysis experiments of the H x ReO 3 -CdS hetero-nanocrystals have been performed for the first time. Photocatalytic hydrogen production rate of the H x ReO 3 -CdS is about 92.6 times that of the pure CdS, which is attributed to the H x ReO 3 for both increasing the light absorption and promoting the electron transfer. These results provide a new strategy to prepare plasmon-exciton hybrids with non-metal plasmonic nanomaterials for photocatalysis applications. • Spherical MVReO nanoparticles are successfully converted to H x ReO 3 nanosheets with high LSPRs through hydrogenation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]