Hot carriers

Plasmon-induced energy and charge transfer from metal nanostructures hold great potential for harvesting solar energy. Presently, the efficiencies of charge-carrier extraction are still low due to the competitive ultrafast mechanisms of plasmon relaxation. Using single-particle electron energy loss spectroscopy, we correlate the geometrical and compositional details of individual nanostructures to their carrier extraction efficiencies. By removing ensemble effects, we are able to show a direct structure–function relationship that permits the rational design of the most efficient metal–semiconductor nanostructures for energy harvesting applications. In particular, by developing a hybrid system comprising Au nanorods with epitaxially grown CdSe tips, we are able to control and enhance charge extraction. We show that optimal structures can have efficiencies as high as 45%. The quality of the Au–CdSe interface and the dimensions of the Au rod and CdSe tip are shown to be critical for achieving these high efficiencies of chemical interface damping.

 "Optimal Geometry for Plasmonic Hot-Carrier Extraction in Metal–Semiconductor Nanocrystals" ACS Nano,  10.1021/acsnano.2c10892 (2023) 

Metal nano-sized particles can capture light and use this form of energy for initiating and accelerating chemical reactions.This can be thought of as a form of artificial photosynthesis.
Recently, we have used this concept for the synthesis of molecules of interest in synthetic organic chemistry: a branch of chemistry that studies pathways and mechanisms for the production of substances that can  be used in pharmaceuticals, fertilisers, plastics and even the colour pigments that are producing the photons hitting your eyes right now!
To  find about a bit more about this exciting research, in an accessible form, please read the related article published in Nanowerk

 "Hot-Carrier Organic Synthesis Via The Near-Perfect Absorption Of Light" ACS Catalysis ,  10.1021/acscatal.8b03486 (2018) 

 "Hot Carrier Extraction With Plasmonic Broadband Absorbers" ACS Nano 10, 4704 (2016) 

We show how a combination of near- and far-field coupling of the localised surface plasmon resonances in aluminium nanoparticles deposited on TiO2 films greatly enhances the visible light photocatalytic activity of the semiconductor material.

Black gold

No, it is not oil (petroleum). It is nano-textured gold, which can be made to absorb nearly all light incident on it.

It can transform this absorbed energy into chemical energy. Full story here.

Read also the great articles published by Advanced Science News and Nanowerk.

We have developed a novel, simple, and scalable fabrication technique that increases the amount of hot-electron injection from self-assembled colloidal plasmonic nanostructures. 

We demonstrate a novel material capable of absorbing up to 98% of incident visible light. The material comprises a thin sheet of a tightly packed two-dimensional lattice of metal nanoparticles, called plasmene. These structures hold great promise for applications in structural color, sensing, and photocatalysis.