Dual-nanostructured plasmonic Au-NS&NR/TiO2 for photothermal catalytic hydrogen production

The utilization of crude glycerol, a byproduct of biodiesel, for hydrogen production is a promising approach to recover waste into clean energy. In this study, we develop a novel dual-nanostructured plasmonic Au-NS&NR/TiO 2 by co-loading Au nanorods (Au NR) and nanospheres (Au NS) onto TiO 2 for photothermal catalytic hydrogen production in the presence of glycerol. It is demonstrated that the coupling between the resonant wavelengths of Au nanospheres and nanorods broadens the light response range. The stronger localized electromagnetic field generated by the Au nanorods facilitates the generation of photogenerated charge carriers, while the Au nanospheres enable more efficient utilization of hot electrons. The thermal effect induced by localized surface plasmon resonance enhances molecular collisions, further improving the photothermal catalytic hydrogen production performance. This work highlights the potential application of photothermal catalytic hydrogen production using solar energy in the presence of glycerol.