Mini AuAg Wavy Nanorods Displaying Plasmon‐Induced Photothermal and Photocatalytic Properties

Abstract

Alloyed AuAg wavy nanorods (wNRs) of ≈24.0 nm length and 3.5 nm width are formed by the mild decomposition of the organometallic complex [Au2Ag2(C6F5)4(OEt2)2]n in tetrahydrofuran (THF) in the presence of oleic acid. Ligand exchange with l‐glutathione (GSH) or poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether thiol (PEG‐SH) leads to water‐soluble nanostructures. These AuAg wNRs display tunable size‐dependent longitudinal localized surface plasmon resonance (l‐LSPR) broad absorptions beyond 750 nm in the near‐infrared (NIR) I and II regions. These intense plasmonic absorptions lead to interesting photothermal, catalytic, and photocatalytic properties, including the catalytic reduction of 4‐nitrophenol, the photocatalytic reduction of 4‐nitrostyrene, or the photocatalytic dehydrogenation of ammonia borane for H2 release.

Keywords

• gold
• nanorods
• photothermal heating
• plasmonic catalysis
• silver