Comment on "Quantifying hot carrier and thermal contributions in plasmonic photocatalysis".

Sivan, Yonatan; Baraban, Joshua; Un, Ieng Wai; Dubi, Yonatan · Science · 2019

editorial · Level V

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Abstract

Zhou <i>et al</i> (Reports, 5 October 2018, p. 69) claim to have proven dominance of "hot" electrons over thermal effects in plasmonic photocatalysis. We identify experimental flaws that caused overestimation of the hot carrier contribution. As an alternative interpretation, we fully reproduce their data using a purely thermal Arrhenius law with a fixed activation energy and intensity-dependent heating.