Plasmon photocatalysis
View Patent ↗Plasmons on a waveguide may deliver energy to photocatalyze a reaction. The waveguide or other energy carrier may be configured to carry electromagnetic energy and generate plasmon energy at one or more locations proximate to the waveguide, where the plasmon energy may react chemically with a medium or interaction material.
1. A system comprising:
a first waveguide, said first waveguide being configured to carry energy from a first location to a second location;
a plasmon generator coupled to said first waveguide and operative to produce plasmons; and
a first interaction material proximate to said second location and responsive to said plasmons to react chemically, wherein said first interaction material is in intimate contact with the first waveguide.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first interaction material includes a semiconductor.
3. The system of claim 2 wherein the semiconductor includes titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ).
4. The system of claim 1 wherein the first interaction material substantially surrounds the first waveguide.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein the first waveguide includes an outer layer, wherein the outer layer includes the first interaction material.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein the first interaction material is further responsive to plasmons in a first energy range to react chemically.
7. The system of claim 6 wherein the first energy range includes infrared energy.
8. The system of claim 6 wherein the first energy range includes visible energy.
9. The system of claim 6 wherein the first energy range includes ultraviolet energy.
10. The system of claim 1 wherein the first waveguide includes an optical fiber.
11. The system of claim 1 further comprising a second interaction material: different from the first interaction material, proximate to a third location, and responsive to said plasmons to react chemically.
12. The system of claim 11 wherein the third location is different from the second location.
13. A system comprising:
a first waveguide, said first waveguide being configured to carry energy from a first location to a second location;
a plasmon generator coupled to said first waveguide and operative to produce plasmons; and
a photocatalyst proximate to said second location and responsive to said plasmons to catalyze a selected chemical activity.
14. The system of claim 13 wherein the selected chemical activity produces hydrogen.
15. A system comprising:
a first waveguide, said first waveguide being configured to carry energy from a first location to a second location;
a plasmon generator coupled to said first waveguide and operative to produce plasmons; and
a first photocatalyst proximate to said second location and responsive to said plasmons to catalyze chemical activity, wherein said first photocatalyst is in intimate contact with the first waveguide, and wherein said first photocatalyst has a first band gap.
16. The system of claim 15 wherein the first photocatalyst includes a semiconductor.
17. The system of claim 16 wherein the semiconductor includes titanium dioxide.
18. The system of claim 15 wherein the energy has a first energy range, and wherein the first band gap is substantially within the first energy range.
19. The system of claim 15 wherein the plasmon generator includes a nanoparticle.
20. The system of claim 15 wherein the plasmon generator includes a structure patterned to produce plasmons.
21. The system of claim 15 further comprising a second photocatalyst responsive to said plasmons to catalyze chemical activity, wherein said second photocatalyst has a second band gap.
22. The system of claim 21 wherein the second photocatalyst is the same as the first photocatalyst.
23. The system of claim 21 wherein the second photocatalyst is proximate to a third location different from the second location.