Role of UV Plasmonics in the Photocatalytic Performance of TiO2 Decorated with Aluminum Nanoparticles

We present a facile method, combining sputtering and gas aggregation techniques, to prepare a photocatalytic TiO2 thin film decorated with stable aluminum plasmonic nanoparticles (Al NPs) to reveal the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect on TiO2 photo catalysis under UV irradiation. We demonstrate for the first time the negative and positive influences of LSPR on UV photocatalysis by irradiating Al NPs/TiO2 hybrid structures at two different UV wavelengths: both at and above the plasmonic absorption of Al NPs. These findings open the door to design low-cost Al/TiO2 photocatalytic hybrid surfaces that function in a broad spectral range from deep-ultraviolet to visible wavelengths.