<Abstrate>

Among the many novel photocatalytic systems developed

in very recent years, plasmonic photocatalytic composites

possess great potential for use in applications and are one

of the most intensively investigated photocatalytic systems

owing to their high solar energy utilization efficiency.

In these composites, the plasmonic nanoparticles (PNPs)

efficiently absorb solar light through localized surface

plasmon resonance and convert it into energetic electrons

and holes in the nearby semiconductor. This energy

transfer from PNPs to semiconductors plays a decisive

role in the overall photocatalytic performance. Thus, the

underlying physical mechanism is of great scientific and

technological importance and is one of the hottest topics

in the area of plasmonic photocatalysts. In this review, we

examine the very recent advances in understanding the

energy transfer process in plasmonic photocatalytic

composites, describing both the theoretical basis of this

process and experimental demonstrations. The factors that

affect the energy transfer efficiencies and how to improve

the efficiencies to yield better photocatalytic performance

are also discussed. Furthermore, comparisons are made

between the various energy transfer processes, emphasizing

their limitations/benefits for efficient operation

of plasmonic photocatalysts.

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