Au@TiO2yolk–shell hollow spheres for plasmon-induced photocatalytic reduction of CO2to solar fuel via a local electromagnetic field

An electric field in a photocatalytic system consisting of Au@TiO2 yolk–shell hollow spheres is created to enhance the generation of electron–hole pairs and remit the charge-carrier recombination. Local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR)-mediated local electromagnetic field nearby Au nanoparticles cannot only enhance the local generation and subsequent separation of electron–hole pairs in TiO2 shells to improve the photoreduction yield of CO2, but also facilitate chemical reactions involving multiple e−/H+ transfer processes to allow the formation of high-grade carbon species (C2H6), which was rarely observed in precedent CO2 photocatalytic reduction systems. The work may provide a new viewpoint for designing photocatalysts for artificial photosynthesis involving multiple reactions.