Plasmonic hot carriers scratch the surface

Metal nanostructures capture light efficiently due to plasmonic enhancement and generate energetic electrons and holes that can be used to drive chemical reactions or transferred across metal–semiconductor interfaces for solar cells and photodetectors. The overall efficiency of plasmonic hot-carrier devices depends on the generated energy distribution, on its evolution with transport through the metal, and, most critically, on the transport across the metal surface or interface. Here, we review the mechanistic considerations, strategies, and challenges for efficient hot-carrier extraction, highlighting the need for new materials to transport carriers with minimal energy loss and for interfaces designed to transfer them with high probability.