Noble metal nanoparticles are efficient converters of light into heat but typically cover a limited spectral range or have intense light scattering, resulting in unsuited for broadband thermoplasmonic applications and sunlight-driven heat generation. Here, Au-Ag alloy nanoparticles were deliberately molded with an irregular nanocoral (NC) shape to obtain broadband plasmon absorption from the visible to the near-infrared yet at a lower cost compared to pure Au nanostructures. The Au-Ag NCs are produced through a green and scalable methodology that relies on pulsed laser fragmentation in a liquid, without chemicals or capping molecules, leaving the particles surface free for conjugation with thiolated molecules and enabling full processability and easy inclusion in various matrixes. Numerical calculations showed that panchromism, i.e., the occurrence of a broadband absorption from the visible to the near-infrared region, is due to the special morphology of Au-Ag alloy NCs and consists of a purely absorptive behavior superior to monometallic Au or Ag NCs. The thermoplasmonic properties were assessed by multiwavelength light-to-heat conversion experiments and exploited for the realization of a cellulose-based solar-steam generation device with low-cost, simple design but competitive performances. Overall, here it is shown how laser light can be used to harvest solar light. Besides, the optimized broadband plasmon absorption, the green synthetic procedure, and the other set of positive features for thermoplasmonic applications of Au-Ag NCs will contribute to the development of environmentally friendly devices of practical utility in a sustainable world.
Keywords: Ag nanoparticles; Au nanoparticles; AuAg alloy; photothermal effects; plasmonics; sunlight conversion; thermoplasmonics.