title: Plasmon-induced artificial photosynthesis.
abstract: We have successfully developed a plasmon-induced artificial photosynthesis system that uses a gold nanoparticle-loaded oxide semiconductor electrode to produce useful chemical energy as hydrogen and ammonia. The most important feature of this system is that both sides of a strontium titanate single-crystal substrate are used without an electrochemical apparatus. Plasmon-induced water splitting occurred even with a minimum chemical bias of 0.23 V owing to the plasmonic effects based on the efficient oxidation of water and the use of platinum as a co-catalyst for reduction. Photocurrent measurements were performed to determine the electron transfer between the gold nanoparticles and the oxide semiconductor. The efficiency of water oxidation was determined through spectroelectrochemical experiments aimed at elucidating the electron density in the gold nanoparticles. A set-up similar to the water-splitting system was used to synthesize ammonia via nitrogen fixation using ruthenium instead of platinum as a co-catalyst.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Electronic Science , Hokkaido University , N21, W10, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0021 Hokkaido , Japan.
authors.forename: Kosei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ueno
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Electronic Science , Hokkaido University , N21, W10, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0021 Hokkaido , Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oshikiri
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Electronic Science , Hokkaido University , N21, W10, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0021 Hokkaido , Japan.
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Electronic Science , Hokkaido University , N21, W10, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0021 Hokkaido , Japan.
authors.forename: Yuqing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Electronic Science , Hokkaido University , N21, W10, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0021 Hokkaido , Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Misawa
keywords: artificial photosynthesis; photochemistry; plasmonic chemistry