Stimulated Photocatalytic Plasmonic–TiO2 Nanohybrid for Ecoremediation and Energy: Recent Advances and Challenges

Plasmonic photocatalysis represents a highly promising area of research, as it enables the efficient exploitation of a broad spectrum of solar energy. Among the different photocatalysts, titanium dioxide (TiO₂) has emerged as a pre-eminent photocatalyst owing to its remarkable catalytic attributes. Its abundant active sites and high surface-to-volume ratio enable synergistic interactions with plasmonic metal nanoparticles, including silver, gold, and palladium, leading to significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity. These hybrid nanostructured materials based on TiO₂ photocatalysts have many advances and challenges for many potential applications in environment and energy production. This phenomenon can be attributed to the efficient separation of charge carriers, coupled with the strategic tuning of the photocatalyst's optical response to extend into extended wavelength regions, specifically within the near-infrared and visible spectra.