Plasmon enhanced photoelectrochemical properties of surface-textured mesoporous titania inverse opal structure

Abstract

We report an inverse opal structure, a type of photonic crystals, helps to improve a photoconversion efficiency of photoanode via photon trapping effect caused by the large dimension of nanostructures. Surface-texturing of inverse opal structure ensures much larger surface area of large scale nanostructures while providing photon trapping effect. Additionally, gold nanoparticles deposited on the surface have a great influence on a plasmon-enhanced photon trapping effect. Photon trapping by structural factor and surface Plasmon enhancement by gold nanoparticles of the surface-textured mesoporous titania inverse opal structures create synergetic effects to enhance the photoelectrochemical properties of the devices under the visible light illumination, which occupies the great portion of the solar spectrum.