Plasmonic metal nanostructures, possessing unique surface plasmon resonance properties, show excellent capabilities for light trapping and coupling. On this basis, various plasmonic metal nanostructures offer extraordinary opportunities to promote the conversion efficiency of solar energy to electric energy, hydrogen energy or thermal energy, and so on. In this review article, we highlight a number of recent research achievements on the rational design of plasmonic metal nanostructures so as to maximize the utilization of the entire solar spectrum. Compared with single metal nanoparticles, multiplex (such as multicompositions, sizes, or shapes) nanoparticle structures emphasize advantages in broadening the absorption range and improving light-utilization efficiency. This review concludes with discussions regarding challenges in this research field and proposals of prospects for future directions.

等离子体金属纳米结构具有独特的表面等离子体共振特性，显示出优异的光捕获和耦合能力。在此基础上，各种等离子体金属纳米结构为提高太阳能向电能、氢能或热能等的转换效率提供了非凡的机会。在这篇综述文章中，我们重点介绍了一些关于合理设计等离子体金属纳米结构以最大限度地利用整个太阳光谱的近期研究成果。与单一金属纳米粒子相比，多重（如多重成分、尺寸或形状）纳米粒子结构强调在拓宽吸收范围和提高光利用效率方面的优势。