title: Ubiquitous element approach to plasmonic enhanced photocatalytic water splitting: the case of Ti@TiO2 core-shell nanostructure.
abstract: We demonstrate a new approach to plasmonic enhanced photocatalytic water splitting by developing a novel core-shell Ti@TiO2 brush nanostructure where an elongated Ti nanorod forms a plasmonic core that concentrates light inside of a nanotubular anodic TiO2 shell. Following the ubiquitous element approach aimed at providing an enhanced device functionality without the usage of noble or rare earth elements, we utilized only inexpensive Ti to create a complex Ti@TiO2 nanostructure with an enhanced UV and Vis photocatalytic activity that emerges from the interplay between the surface plasmon resonance in the Ti core, Vis light absorption in the Ti-rich oxide layer at the Ti/TiO2 interface and UV light absorption in the nanotubular TiO2 shell.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuriy
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pihosh
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Turkevych
authors.forename: Kazuma
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mawatari
authors.forename: Nobuko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: Ryoichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tosa
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimamura
authors.forename: Encarnacion G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Villora
authors.forename: Takehiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kitamori