Enhancement of Plasmon-Induced Photoelectrocatalytic Water Oxidation over Au/TiO2 with Lithium Intercalation

Plasmon-induced chemical reaction is an emerging field but its development faces huge challenges because of low quantum efficiency. Herein, we report that the solar energy conversion efficiency of Au/TiO2 in plasmon-induced water oxidation is greatly enhanced by intercalating Li+ into TiO2. An incident photon-to-current efficiency as high as 2.0 %@520 nm is achieved by Au/Li0.2TiO2 in photoelectrocatalytic water oxidation, realizing a 33-fold enhancement in photocurrent density compared with Au/TiO2. The superior photoelectrocatalytic performance is mainly ascribed to the enhanced electric conductivity and higher catalytic activity of Li0.2TiO2. Furthermore, the ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy suggests that lithium intercalation into TiO2 could change the dynamics of hot electron relaxation in Au nanoparticles. This work demonstrates that intercalation of alkaline ions into semiconductors can promote the charge separation efficiency of the plasmonic effect of Au/TiO2.

Automated summary

This study reports the enhancement of solar energy conversion efficiency in plasmon-induced water oxidation by intercalating Li+ into TiO2. The superior photoelectrocatalytic performance of Au/Li0.2TiO2 is mainly attributed to the increased electric conductivity and catalytic activity of Li0.2TiO2. The intercalation of alkaline ions into semiconductors can promote the charge separation efficiency of the plasmonic effect of Au/TiO2.