Understanding the Nanoscale Interactions of Surface Plasmon Mediated Semiconductor Surfaces with Water and Light for Renewable Energy Harvesting and Conversion

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New surfaces and interfaces for clean energy harvesting and storage and for ultrasensative chemical analysis are needed. This project involves design of ultrasensitive noble metal tips to investigate solid semiconductor surfaces and interfaces under photoelectrochemical operation conditions. Light energy absorption and conversion capabilities of these surfaces in the presence of noble metal nanoparticles can be resolved at the nanometer scale. This research would precisely quantify surface enhancement factors that contribute to light energy storage into chemical bonds, and also allow direct comparison with theoretical calculations. The results of this research would greatly help understand light-matter interactions in the presence of noble metal antenna. The education activities include science cafés, undergraduate research experience, and classroom module demonstrations to enhance student-centered learning and public awareness of nanotechnology and clean energy. The educational activities will help inclusive recruiting and training and the retention of underrepresented minority students.This research will develop an electrochemical apertureless plasmonic antenna technique and theoretical platform to study the interactions of plasmonic nanomaterials and photoactive semiconductors under electrochemical operation conditions. The key feature of this system is a nanoelectrode with a single plasmon nanoparticle for electrochemical, optical, and surface topology imaging of photoelectrochemical activities of a semiconductor electrode with nanometer spatial resolutions. This research would experimentally validate light absorption, charge carrier generation, and transport and storage into chemical bonds in the presence of a plasmonic metal. The research design creates a model system that can fit multiphysics simulation prediction and also enables spectroscopy enhancement capability for resolving local redox reaction kinetics of catalysts. The educational activities will be integrated with the proposed research for student training in an interdisciplinary research environment.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.