S-scheme heterojunction-induced surface plasmon response

Abstract

In this insight, we highlighted the emergence of a plasmonic response over ZnO/CuInS₂ S-scheme heterojunction, which has been recently reported by Meng et al. (Adv. Mater. 2024, 36, 2406460). The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect is widely acknowledged in plasmonic metal nanoparticles or defective nanocrystals. In their work, Meng et al. proposed another approach to generate a plasmonic response in S-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts. By virtue of the SPR effect, the obtained ZnO/CuInS₂ photocatalyst exhibited supreme photocatalytic activity for H₂O₂ production under near-infrared (NIR) light. This heterojunction-induced plasmonic response is mainly concentrated in the IR regime thus extending the photocatalytic activity beyond the visible light limit and opening new avenues for boosting the development of heterojunctions in artificial photosynthesis.