Plasmonic Enhancement of Photocatalytic Microreactors by Gold Nanoparticles Embedded in Semiconductor Thin Films

We present an approach to utilize gold nanoparticles embedded within various semiconductor thin films as a possible solution in bringing plasmonic enhancement to photocatalysis in microreactors. In this manner we aim to ensure a solution that is compatible with continuous laminar flow in the device as well as with planar technologies used in microreactor fabrication for seamless integration with the device. We utilize TiO
2
, SiO
2
and Si materials to optimize optical energy density distributions within the structure and consequently enhance desired carrier generation mechanisms within the metal and the semiconductor. Utilizing thin films instead of core-shell particles offers additional degrees of freedom in terms of material choice as well as multilayer capabilities for any further optimization and increases functionalization of our approach. Furthermore, our solution is compatible with omnidirectional illumination of the microreactor.