Holey AuAg textured nanoplates for plasmonic catalysis under low-energy near infrared irradiation

Abstract

We report the synthesis of holey, textured AuAg nanoplates (HTNPs) for enhanced near-infrared (NIR) plasmonic catalysis. The nanostructures are synthesized via a micelle-directed assembly, yielding a serrated morphology that generates intense electromagnetic "hot spots" and broadband vis-NIR absorption, as confirmed by FEM simulations. This design enables efficient harvesting of photons from an 810 nm LED source. In the model reduction of 4-nitrophenol, the HTNPs exhibit a pronounced photocatalytic enhancement, with a reaction rate under NIR light (k_light = 0.076 ± 0.016 min⁻¹) ∼5.8 times greater than in the dark (k_dark = 0.013 ± 0.0071 min⁻¹). This work establishes a template-guided strategy to tailor plasmonic surface architectures, advancing catalyst design for activation by low-energy NIR light.