Coupling of Solar Energy and Thermal Energy for Carbon Dioxide Reduction: Status and Prospects

Enormous efforts have been devoted to the reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) by utilizing various driving forces, such as heat, electricity, and radiation. However, the efficient reduction of CO₂ is still challenging because of sluggish kinetics. Recent pioneering studies from several groups, including us, have demonstrated that the coupling of solar energy and thermal energy offers a novel and promising strategy to promote the activity and/or manipulate selectivity in CO₂ reduction. Herein, we clarify the definition and principles of coupling solar energy and thermal energy, and comprehensively review the status and prospects of CO₂ reduction by coupling solar energy and thermal energy. Catalyst design, reactor configuration, photo‐mediated activity/selectivity, and mechanism studies in photo‐thermo CO₂ reduction will be emphasized. The aim of this Review is to promote understanding towards CO₂ activation and provide guidelines for the design of new catalysts for the efficient reduction of CO₂.