Concepedia

Efficient hot-electron transfer by a plasmon-induced interfacial charge-transfer transition

Kaifeng Wu, Jinquan Chen, James R. McBride, Tianquan Lian

Science · 2015 · 1.2K citations · 68 references

TL;DR

Small metal nanostructures generate hot electrons via surface plasmons that can transfer to semiconductors, but the efficiency is often low due to electron‑electron scattering. The study demonstrates a pathway enabling plasmon‑direct excitation of electrons in a strongly coupled semiconductor acceptor. Cadmium selenide nanorods with gold nanoparticles at their ends achieved interfacial electron transfer that strongly damped plasmons, yielding a quantum efficiency above 24%. Wu et al.

Abstract

Improving electron harvesting Small metal nanostructures generate electrons from light by creating surface plasmons, which can transfer “hot electrons” to a semiconductor. The efficiency of this process, however, is often low because of electron-electron scattering. Wu et al. demonstrate a pathway that allows the plasmon to directly excite an electron in a strongly coupled semiconductor acceptor (see the Perspective by Kale). Cadmiun selenide nanorods bearing gold nanoparticles on their ends strongly damped plasmons via interfacial electron transfer with a quantum efficiency exceeding 24%. Science , this issue p. 632 ; see also p. 587