Abstract: Disclosed herein are nanostructured electrodes comprising a plurality of plasmonic particles having a plasmon resonance energy in electromagnetic contact with a nanostructured semiconductor having a band gap with a conduction band. In some examples, at least a portion of the plasmon resonance energy of the plurality of plasmonic particles is higher in energy than the conduction band of the nanostructured semiconductor. In some examples, the plasmon resonance energy of the plurality of plasmonic particles can at least partially overlap with the band gap of the nanostructured semiconductor. Also disclosed herein are methods of making and methods of using the nanostructured electrodes described herein.

Abstract: A process for re-shaping spheres in an exposed layer of spheres on a substrate having a substrate surface is disclosed. The process involves exposing the exposed layer of spheres to a low-angle ion beam, while maintaining the low-angle ion beam at a power level for a time sufficient to ablate the spheres in the exposed layer into respective spaced apart sphere segments which define a mask on the substrate surface. Two layers of spheres may be used, with only the outer, exposed layer being exposed to the low-angle ion beam, to cause the sphere segments of the exposed layer and spheres of the layer below to cooperate to define a mask having very small openings.