Plasmonic nanostars unlock highly efficient hot-electron transfer for photocatalysis
CPLAS researchers have developed a plasmonic photocatalyst that demonstrates one of the highest hot-electron transfer efficiencies reported for a metal-semiconductor system. By combining gold nanostars with poly(heptazine imide) (PHI), a promising carbon nitride photocatalyst, the team was able to directly observe how energy generated by light can be transferred across the material interface to drive chemical reactions.
Using ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy, the researchers found that around 40% of the hot-electron energy generated in the gold nanostars is transferred to the PHI photocatalyst. The distinctive star-shaped nanoparticles, with their sharp nanoscale tips, enhance light absorption and facilitate efficient charge transfer, helping to overcome one of the key challenges in photocatalysis: preventing charge carriers from recombining before they can participate in useful chemical reactions.
The study also showed that the gold nanostars act as effective electron scavengers, altering charge-carrier dynamics within the photocatalyst and contributing to significantly improved photocatalytic performance. Previous work on this material system demonstrated almost a doubling of hydrogen peroxide production under solar illumination compared with PHI alone, highlighting the practical potential of plasmonically enhanced photocatalysts for sustainable chemical manufacturing and solar energy conversion.
The findings provide important new insights into ultrafast charge-transfer processes in hybrid plasmonic-semiconductor materials and offer guidance for the design of next-generation photocatalysts for clean energy and environmental applications.
Link to paper: Plasmonic Hot-Electron Transfer in Gold-Nanostar-Conjugated Poly(heptazine imide) Photocatalyst.
Anton Yu. BykovKoen EversDiptiranjan PaitalPankaj SharmaFang XieAnatoly V. Zayats;
Nano Lett. 8 July 2026; 26 (26): 8559–8565.