Controlled growth of plasmonic heterostructures and their applications

Plasmonic nanocrystals with unique properties have been extensively studied in the past decades. A combination of plasmonic materials with other characteristic materials of metals and semiconductors leads to properties far beyond single-component materials and excellent performances in many optical-related applications. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in the controlled growth of plasmonic heterostructures with a specific composition, morphology, size, and structural symmetry. Plasmon-enhanced properties of the heterostructures and their excellent performances in applications are also discussed. The synthesis strategies and the intriguing properties of the plasmonic heterostructures provide great opportunity for applications in plasmon-enhanced nonlinear optics, optical spectroscopy, photocatalysis, solar energy conversion, and so on.