Engineering the surface chemistry of silicon nanocrystals for efficient Ag-Si hybrid photocatalysts toward CO2 reduction

Plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) enable exceptional light harvesting via localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPR), yet their photocatalytic utility is limited by ultrafast charge recombination and surface contamination from synthesis. Here, we overcome these challenges by applying the surface chemistry of silicon nanocrystals (SiNCs) to synthesize hybrid nanostructures of uncoated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The alkyl-passivated SiNC surface acts as a reductive template, guiding the in-situ fo