Photothermal Catalysis: Material Construction, Performance Enhancement, and Application Progress

Area of Science:

• Catalysis
• Materials Science
• Renewable Energy

Background:

• Photocatalysis and thermocatalysis have limitations in solar energy utilization.
• Conventional methods suffer from narrow spectral response, carrier recombination, high energy consumption, and poor selectivity.
• Photothermal catalysis offers improved energy conversion efficiency and reduced activation energy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the mechanisms, catalytic systems, and applications of photothermal catalysis.
• To provide a mechanism-guided framework for designing advanced photothermal catalysts.
• To address current research challenges in the field.

Main Methods:

• Elaboration of three core photothermal mechanisms.
• Classification of catalytic systems based on dominant reaction pathways.
• Focus on structural design, performance regulation, and structure-activity relationships of catalysts.

Main Results:

• Summary of applications in CO2 reduction, methane reforming, water splitting, and ammonia synthesis.
• Analysis of structure-activity relationships for typical photothermal catalysts.
• Identification of key challenges in current photothermal catalysis research.

Conclusions:

• Photothermal catalysis presents a promising approach for efficient full-spectrum solar energy utilization.
• A mechanism-guided framework is established for the rational design of photothermal catalysts.
• This review offers theoretical basis and technical guidance for advancing clean energy conversion technologies.