Hot electrons generated from Mn‐doped quantum dots via upconversion for photocatalysis applications

There is a growing interest in the application of photogenerated hot electrons in semiconductor or metallic nanostructures such as in photocatalysis and photovoltaics taking advantage of their large excess kinetic energy and long-range transfer capability. Among various nanostructures that can generate hot electrons, Mn-doped semiconductors quantum dots (QDs) have shown their unique ability to produce highly energetic hot electrons via upconversion process. Compared to the plasmonic hot electrons, upconverted hot electrons in Mn-doped QDs possess several eV larger energy and can even produce photoelectron emission above the vacuum level from a subpopulation of hot electrons under weak visible excitation equivalent to the concentrated solar radiation. The present account reviews recent progresses made in the research on hot electron generation via upconversion and their application in photocatalytic reactions that highlights the benefits of long-range transfer of energetic hot electrons.