title: Hierarchical metal/semiconductor nanostructure for efficient water splitting.
abstract: A hierarchically patterned metal/semiconductor (gold nanoparticles/ZnO nanowires) nanostructure with maximized photon trapping effects is fabricated via interference lithography (IL) for plasmon enhanced photo-electrochemical water splitting in the visible region of light. Compared with unpatterned (plain) gold nanoparticles-coated ZnO NWs (Au NPs/ZnO NWs), the hierarchically patterned Au NPs/ZnO NWs hybrid structures demonstrate higher and wider absorption bands of light leading to increased surface enhanced Raman scattering due to the light trapping effects achieved by the combination of two different nanostructure dimensions; furthermore, pronounced plasmonic enhancement of water splitting is verified in the hierarchically patterned Au NPs/ZnO NWs structures in the visible region. The excellent performance of the hierarchically patterned Au NPs/ZnO NWs indicates that the combination of pre-determined two different dimensions has great potential for application in solar energy conversion, light emitting diodes, as well as SERS substrates and photoelectrodes for water splitting.
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary School of Green Energy and Low Dimensional Carbon Materials Center, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), 100 Banyeon-ri, Ulsan 689-798, South Korea.
authors.forename: Pradheep
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Thiyagarajan
authors.forename: Hyo-Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Jung-Soo
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jong-Chul
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Ji-Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Jang
keywords: ZnO; electrochemical processes; gold; hierarchical structures; semiconductors