Plasmon-assisted photocurrent generation from silver nanoparticle monolayers combined with porphyrins via their different chain-length alkylcarboxylates.

Three-typed porphyrin derivatives with a different chain-length alkylcarboxylic acid as their peripheral anchor group have been prepared. Anodic photocurrents were observed in a simple system where the porphyrin derivatives were directly anchored on an indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode. Cathodic photocurrents and their plasmon-assisted enhancement appeared from an Ag nanoparticle (Ag NP) composite monolayer combined with the porphyrin derivatives on the ITO electrode. In the photocurrent generation mechanism, Ag NPs played both the roles as photon- and energy-transfer to the porphyrin derivatives. The plasmon-assisted enhancement was affected by the chain-lengths of the peripheral anchor groups.