Carrier transfer induced photoluminescence change in metal-semiconductor core-shell nanostructures

Metal-semiconductor core-shell nanostructures have been synthesized to explore the influence of metal nanostructures on the photoluminescence of semiconductors. Up to 40 times enhancement in the emission intensity was observed in the Au–CdS core-shell nanostructures. The mechanism where the excited electrons on Au surface by surface plasmon wave transfer to the conduction band of the CdS shell and recombine with holes in the valence band was proposed to interpret the enhancement. Our model can also be used to explain the quenched emission in FePt–CdS core-shell nanostructures and Au–CdSe nanodumbbells.