Photothermal catalysis for CO2 conversion

The conversion of carbon dioxide into useful fuels or chemical feedstocks is of great importance for achieving carbon emission peak and carbon neutrality. The harvesting and conversion of solar energy will provide a sustainable and environmentally friendly energy source for human production and living. Very recently, photothermal catalysis has been proved to exhibit great advantages in reducing the reaction temperature, promoting the catalytic activity, and manipulating the reaction pathway in comparison with traditional thermal catalysis. In this review, we firstly introduced the fundamental mechanisms and categories of photothermal catalysis to understand the synergy or the difference between photochemical and thermochemical reaction pathways. Subsequently, the criteria and strategies for photothermal catalyst design are discussed in order to inspire the development of high-efficiency photothermal catalytic route by achieving intense absorption of broadband solar energy spectrum and high conversion capability of solar-to-heat. Recent progress in CO₂ reduction achieved by photothermal catalysis was summarized in terms of production types. In the end, the future challenges and perspectives of photothermal catalytic CO₂ reduction are presented. We hope that this review will not only deepen the understanding of photothermal catalysis, but also inspire the design, preparation and application of high-performance photothermal catalysts, aiming at alleviating non-renewable fossil energy consumption and carbon emissions for early carbon emission peak and carbon neutrality.