Surface plasmon-driven photoelectrochemical water splitting of a Ag/TiO nanoplate photoanode.

A silver/titanium dioxide nanoplate (Ag/TiO NP) photoelectrode was designed and fabricated from vertically aligned TiO nanoplates (NP) decorated with silver nanoparticles (NPs) through a simple hydrothermal synthesis and electrodeposition route. The electrodeposition times of Ag NPs on the TiO NP were crucial for surface plasmon-driven photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting performance. The Ag/TiO NP at the optimal deposition time of 5 min with a Ag element content of 0.