2D and 3D photonic crystal materials for photocatalysis and electrochemical energy storage and conversion

This perspective reviews recent advances in inverse opal structures, how they have been developed, studied and applied as catalysts, catalyst support materials, as electrode materials for batteries, water splitting applications, solar-to-fuel conversion and electrochromics, and finally as photonic p...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Gillian Collins, Eileen Armstrong, David McNulty, Sally O’Hanlon, Hugh Geaney, Colm O’Dwyer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2016-01-01
Series:Science and Technology of Advanced Materials
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14686996.2016.1226121
Description
Summary:This perspective reviews recent advances in inverse opal structures, how they have been developed, studied and applied as catalysts, catalyst support materials, as electrode materials for batteries, water splitting applications, solar-to-fuel conversion and electrochromics, and finally as photonic photocatalysts and photoelectrocatalysts. Throughout, we detail some of the salient optical characteristics that underpin recent results and form the basis for light-matter interactions that span electrochemical energy conversion systems as well as photocatalytic systems. Strategies for using 2D as well as 3D structures, ordered macroporous materials such as inverse opals are summarized and recent work on plasmonic–photonic coupling in metal nanoparticle-infiltrated wide band gap inverse opals for enhanced photoelectrochemistry are provided.
ISSN:1468-6996
1878-5514