The critical role of intragap states in the energy transfer from gold nanoparticles to TiO2

Cathodoluminescence spectroscopy is profitably exploited to study energy transfer mechanisms in Au and Pt/black TiO2 heterostructures. While Pt nanoparticles absorb light in the UV region, Au nanoparticles absorb light by surface plasmon resonance and interband transitions, both of them occurring in the visible region. The intra-bandgap states (oxygen vacancies) of black TiO2 play a key role in promoting both hot electron transfer and plasmonic resonant energy transfer from Au nanoparticles to the TiO2 semiconductor with a consequent photo-catalytic H2 production increase. An innovative criterion is introduced for the design of plasmonic composites with increased efficiency under visible light.