Plasmon-induced hot-electron generation at nanoparticle/metal-oxide interfaces for photovoltaic and photocatalytic devices

Finding higher efficiency schemes for electron-hole separation is of paramount importance for realizing more efficient conversion of solar energy in photovoltaic and photocatalytic devices. Plasmonic energy conversion has been proposed as a promising alternative to conventional electron-hole separation in semiconductor devices. This emerging method is based on the generation of hot electrons in plasmonic nanostructures through electromagnetic decay of surface plasmons. Here, the fundamentals of hot-electron generation, injection and regeneration are reviewed, with special attention paid to recent progress towards photovoltaic devices. This new energy-conversion method potentially offers high conversion efficiencies, while keeping fabrication costs low. However, several considerations regarding the materials, architectures and fabrication methods used need to be carefully evaluated to advance this field.