Plasmonics-Enhanced Photocatalysis for Water Decontamination
We have successfully shown up to 5x enhancement in reaction rate of photocatalytic decomposition of an organic chemical (methyl orange) dissolved in water, by incorporating a layer of aluminum (Al) plasmonic nanostructures on top of a titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) thin film photocatalyst. The whole sample is immersed in the solution and illuminated with ultraviolet (UV) light. The plasmonics-induced electromagnetic field enhancement drastically increases photo-absorption and electron-hole pair generation at the catalyst surface, thereby enhancing the redox reactions at the catalyst-water interface that break the dissolved organics into non-toxic by-products such as carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). Our results demonstrate that it is indeed feasible to use plasmonics to enhance photochemical reactions. With further optimized plasmonics design and improved fabrication methodology, simulation results suggest rate enhancement factor of over 20x is possible.