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Photocatalysis has gained technological importance due to its versatile applications. However, the material systems for photocatalysis have to be improved in order to achieve a sustainable photocatalytic process. As a result, photocatalytic materials have been modified in many different ways including doping and composite formation. In this direction, plasmonic sensitization is found to be one of the effective strategies especially to absorb visible light energy, enhance charge separation, and reduce the recombination possibilities in the system. Plasmonic photocatalysts essentially exhibit two interesting features, namely localized surface plasmon resonance and Schottky junction. The LSPR supports visible light absorption, while the latter supports the charge separation and transportations. Such modifications also help to tune the band-edge position of the photocatalytic materials that favor a range of photocatalytic applications that include pollutant degradation, water splitting, CO2 reduction, N2 fixation, and so on. Therefore, understanding of the features and functions of plasmonic photocatalysts is important in order to design them for specific applications. Accordingly, this chapter has been constructed to provide insights into the synthesis and mechanism of plasmonic photocatalysts for energy and environmental applications and concludes with highlighting the future prospects in the field. |
