AI Article Synopsis

  • Researchers developed symmetrically branched AuCu alloy nanocrystals with adjustable shapes and sizes, leading to unique optical properties.
  • By changing the ratio of gold (Au) to copper (Cu) in the synthesis process, they created Y-shaped tripods and star-shaped pentapods.
  • The study also improved photocatalytic performance by attaching CdS nanocrystals to the tips of these structures and adding an AgS layer to enhance charge separation, achieving a high hydrogen evolution rate.

Article Abstract

Anisotropic nanostructures with tunable optical properties induced by controllable size and symmetry have attracted much attention in many applications. Herein, we report a controlled synthesis of symmetrically branched AuCu alloyed nanocrystals. By varying Au:Cu atom ratio in precursor, Y-shaped tripods with three-fold symmetry and star-shaped pentapods with five-fold symmetry are synthesized, respectively. The growth mechanism of AuCu tripods from icosahedral seeds and AuCu pentapods from decahedral seeds is revealed. Aiming to excellent photocatalytic performance, CdS nanocrystals are controlled grown onto the sharp tips of AuCu tripods and pentapods. In addition, a carrier-selective blocking layer of AgS is introduced between AuCu and CdS, for achieving effective charge separation in AuCu-AgS-CdS nanohybrids. Through evaluating the photocatalytic performance by hydrogen generation experiments, the AuCu-AgS-CdS tripod nanocrystals exhibit an optimized hydrogen evolution rate of 2182 μmol·g·h. These findings will contribute greatly to the understanding of complex nanoparticle growth mechanism and provide a strategy for the design of anisotropic nanoalloys for widely photocatalytic applications.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2024.04.225DOI Listing

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