Largely enhanced photocatalytic activity of Au/XS₂/Au (X = Re, Mo) antenna–reactor hybrids: charge and energy transfer

An antenna–reactor hybrid coupling plasmonic antenna with catalytic nanoparticles is a new strategy to optimize photocatalytic activity. Herein, we have rationally proposed a Au/XS₂/Au (X = Re, Mo) antenna reactor, which has a large Au core as the antenna and small satellite Au nanoparticles as the reactor separated by an ultrathin two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenide XS₂ shell (∼2.6 nm). Due to efficient charge transfer across the XS₂ shell as well as energy transfer via coupling of the Au antenna and Au reactor, the photocatalytic activity has been largely enhanced: Au/ReS₂/Au exhibits a 3.59-fold enhancement, whereas Au/MoS₂/Au exhibits a 2.66-fold enhancement as compared to that of the sum of the three individual components. The different enhancement in the Au/ReS₂/Au and Au/MoS₂/Au antenna–reactor hybrid is related to the competition and cooperation of charge and energy transfer. These results indicate the great potential of the Au/XS₂/Au antenna–reactor hybrid for the development of highly efficient plasmonic photocatalysts.