Plasmonic Nanostructures for Photothermal Conversion

<b>The plasmonic photothermal effect involves nonradiative conversion of light to heat by plasmonic nanostructures. It has attracted significant attention due to their widespread potential applications in developing energy conversion devices, therapeutic agents, and sensors and actuators. Here we report our recent progress on the design and preparation of plasmonic nanostructures for photothermal conversion. We first introduce the general principle of plasmonic photothermal conversion and then discuss the strategies for improving efficiency, which has been the focus of this field. We then discuss a number of typical application types, such as solar energy harvesting, steam generation, photothermal actuation, and color printing, to elucidate how to tailor the nanomaterials to meet the requirements of these specific applications. In addition to the photothermal effect, other unique physical and chemical properties can be coupled to further explore the application scenarios of plasmonic photothermal materials. </b>