Surface Plasmon Enhancement of Multi-shaped Gold Nanostructures in Solar Water Splitting
Speaker: Dr Hao Min Chen, Department of Physics, National Taiwan University
Date: 10 August 2011
Time: 11.00am-11.45am
Venue: Building 53, room 4025
Abstract:
We demonstrated a photoelectrochemical cell using multi-shaped gold nanostructure/ZnO as photocathode, including gold nanoparticles (such as spherical nanoparticles, rods, and star-shaped nanoparticles). Using of multi-shaped Au/ZnO as photocathode exhibited a significant enhancement in photocurrent than that of Pt electrode under illumination. Surface plasmon effects of multi-shaped gold nanostructure were studied via X-ray absorption spectroscopy, which can approach the evolution of electronic structure derived from Zn and O in the presence of gold nanoparticles and investigate the correlation between plasmons oscillation and photoactivity. This approach for application of variously shaped gold nanostructures may be useful in the design of novel photoelectrochemical cell with surface plasmon effect.
Biography:
Dr Chen received his Bachelor and Master degree in Chemistry from National Taiwan University in 2002 and 2004 respectively. He obtained his PhD degree in Chemistry from Natinal Taiwan University in June 2008 with his thesis entitled "Synthesis and Characterization of Multi-shaped Nano-materials". In September 2008 he joined R&D centre of Epistar Corporation as a Senior Engineer and a year later became a visiting research fellow at the Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation of the National Research Council in Canada. Since September 2010 he has been a Reseach Fellow in the Department of Physics of the National Taiwan University. His research interests lay in the areas of nano-materials synthesis and applications, x-ray absorption spectroscopy, catalysis electrochemistry and photo-electrochemical cell for solar energy conversion. Dr Chen has published two book chapters and over 20 papers.