ABSTRACT
We present a study of the effect of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) on TiO2 on charge generation and trapping during illumination with photons of energy larger than the substrate band gap. We used a novel characterization technique, photoassisted Kelvin probe force microscopy, to study the process at the single Au NP level. We found that the photoinduced electron transfer from TiO2 to the Au NP increases logarithmically with light intensity due to the combined contribution of electron-hole pair generation in the space charge region in the TiO2-air interface and in the metal-semiconductor junction. Our measurements on single particles provide direct evidence for electron trapping that hinders electron-hole recombination, a key factor in the enhancement of photo(electro)catalytic activity.
ABSTRACT
A method to form and manipulate the properties of nanometer-size liquid bridges by an external electric field is discussed. The properties of bridges are shown to be the result of an interplay among the field-induced polarization of the water layer adsorbed on the surface, the surface energy, and the water condensation from the humid air. For a given tip-sample separation, a simple model predicts the existence of a threshold voltage V(th) to form the bridge in full agreement with experiments.
