Physical Confinement Promoting Formation of Cu2O–Au Heterostructures with Au Nanoparticles Entrapped within Crystalline Cu2O Nanorods

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• 作者：Emily Asenath-Smith ; Jade M. Noble ; Robert Hovden ; Amanda M. Uhl ; Allessandra DiCorato ; Yi-Yeoun Kim ; Alexander N. Kulak ; Fiona C. Meldrum ; Lena F. Kourkoutis ; Lara A. Estroff
• 刊名：Chemistry of Materials
• 出版年：2017
• 出版时间：January 24, 2017
• 年：2017
• 卷：29
• 期：2
• 页码：555-563
• 全文大小：559K
• ISSN：1520-5002

文摘

Building on the application of cuprite (Cu₂O) in solar energy technologies and reports of increased optical absorption caused by metal-to-semiconductor energy transfer, a confinement-based strategy was developed to fabricate high aspect ratio, crystalline Cu₂O nanorods containing entrapped gold nanoparticles (Au nps). Cu₂O was crystallized within the confines of track-etch membrane pores, where this physical, assembly based method eliminates the necessity of specific chemical interactions to achieve a well-defined metal–semiconductor interface. With high-resolution scanning/transmission electron microscopy (S/TEM) and tomography, we demonstrate the encasement of the majority of Au nps by crystalline Cu₂O and show crystalline Cu₂O–Au interfaces that are free of extended amorphous regions. Such nanocrystal heterostructures are good candidates for studying the transport physics of metal/semiconductor hybrids for optoelectronic applications.