Efficient UV photocatalysis assisted by densely distributed aluminum nanoparticles

Abstract

Aluminum nanoparticles fabricated by oblique angle deposition (OAD) successfully increased the yield and reaction rate of UV photocatalysis due to the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect. Nanoparticles 20–60 nm in size were formed in an area larger than ~1 cm2 when the film was highly tilted during the thermal deposition process. The size and density of these nanoparticles were readily controlled by the deposition thickness and speed. The yield of photocatalytic reactions increased by a factor of ~2, while the reaction rate increased by up to ~10 times. The aluminum nanostructures presented here are of tremendous advantage for future applications in photocatalysis through efficient coupling with UV light.