Pt Decorated (Au Nanosphere)/(CuSe Ultrathin Nanoplate) Tangential Hybrids for Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation via Dual-Plasmon-Induced Strong VIS-NIR Light Absorption and Interfacial Electric Field Coupling

The rational regulation of geometry and dimension of plasmonic metal/semiconductor photocatalysts is crucial to optimize their photocatalytic performance by maxing the plasmonic effect. Herein, Au/CuSe/Pt hybrids with a tangential structure and strong dual-plasmon resonance are prepared, for the first time, through a convenient hydrothermal method, which display a prominent photocatalytic hydrogen generation activity from water splitting. In the ternary nanostructure, a 2D CuSe ultrathin nanoplate is grown along the tangent of Au nanospheres, and Pt nanoparticles are deposited on Au and CuSe. Under visible and near-infrared (VIS-NIR) light irradiation, the Au/CuSe/Pt hybrids exhibit an outstanding photocatalytic hydrogen generation activity, that is, 7.8 and 9.7 times that of Au/CuSe and Pt/CuSe, respectively. In an Au/CuSe/Pt nanosystem, CuSe and Au are both plasmonic units for light harvesting and near-field enhancement, and Pt is cocatalyst for hydrogen reaction. Numerical simulations verify that Au and CuSe have strong electric field coupling around their interface, which can improve the abilities of light trapping and charge generation. Moreover, the closely contacted components and tangential architecture of Au/CuSe/Pt hybrids can generate multiple electron-transfer pathways and abundant surface-active sites, which arrestingly enhance the utilization of dual-plasmon-induced hot electrons and photoexcited charges, thus boosting hydrogen generation.