2016 Fiscal Year Annual Research Report
Plasmon-enhanced photoelectrochemical energy conversion on Au nanoparticles loaded titanium dioxide thin film
| Project/Area Number |
15K20833
|
|---|
| Research Institution | Hokkaido University |
|---|
Principal Investigator |
石 旭 北海道大学, 電子科学研究所, 助教 (20749113)
|
|---|
| Project Period (FY) |
2015-04-01 – 2017-03-31
|
| Keywords | Plasmon resonance / Coupling / Cavity mode / Water splitting |
|---|
| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
We constructed a novel plasmonic absorber, which contains a sandwich structure of Au nanoislands (Au-NIs)/TiO2/Au-film, for broadband plasmon-enhanced solar energy conversion. We found that the strong light absorption originates from the coupling of the cavity mode in the TiO2 thin film and the plasmon resonance in Au-NIs. The strong light absorption dramatically enhanced the plasmon-induced photocurrent generation and water splitting in the visible region. We observed a light-matter coupling induced dual-band absorption in the plasmonic absorber. More importantly, we experimentally demonstrated that the strong coupling can enhance light absorption at the coupling induced new hybrid states, and thereby broaden the photocurrent conversion spectral band. Water splitting was also determined on this plasmonic absorber structure. The plasmon-enhanced solar energy conversion was demonstrated by the approximate corresponding between the H2 evolution action spectrum, the IPCE action spectrum and the absorption spectrum. A broadband IPCE action spectrum covered the whole visible region was observed with the maximum IPCE value reached up to 1.2% in the visible region. This broadband, high absorption plasmonic absorber has great potential for the next generation thin film solar energy conversion as well as the photoelectric devices.
|
