Effect of doping in small-size hybrid nanostructures for plasmonic catalysis.

This article investigates the effect of doping on the lowest quantum state of hot electrons trapped in the semiconductor shell of small-sized metal-core–semiconductor-shell hybrid nanoparticles, specifically focusing on spherical Ag-AgBr structures. It demonstrates that by adjusting the doping density and the dimensions of the metal core and semiconductor shell, the energy of the lowest electron state within the semiconductor conduction band can be tuned across nearly the entire Schottky barrier height, enabling resonance coupling with the lowest unoccupied molecular orbit (LUMO) level of adsorbed chemical species. This tuning potentially enhances the efficiency of plasmonic photocatalysis by increasing the rate of electron transfer and redox reactions through a mechanism termed Quantum-Size Resonance-Enhanced Photocatalysis. The study also analyzes the electron tunneling lifetime back into the metal core, showing it varies widely with nanoparticle parameters, which influences the overall photocatalytic efficiency.