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Updated: Oct 26, 2026

Preparation of Silver-Palladium Alloyed Nanoparticles for Plasmonic Catalysis under Visible-Light Illumination
Published on: August 18, 2020
Fundamental Understanding of Photon- and Phonon-Powered Catalysis
Jiakun Wang1,2, Lu Wang1,2
1Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Aggregate Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518172, P.R. China.
Abstract:
Photon- and phonon-powered catalysis have emerged as a cornerstone of sustainable chemical synthesis, operating through diverse mechanisms that span the solar spectrum. This review provides a unified mechanistic overview of the three primary regimes of light-matter interaction in catalysis, focusing on their fundamental principles and latest achievements. This review first examines how high-energy photons generate charge carriers to drive solar fuel production. It then evaluates photothermal catalysis, where broad-spectrum light is converted into heat and excited carriers to power methane reforming and carbon dioxide hydrogenation. Finally, this review explores how infrared radiation can selectively vibrate specific molecular bonds for precise and stable chemical synthesis. This approach, known as thermal radiative catalysis, enables precise bond activation and high stability during alkane dehydrogenation. By bridging these three mechanisms, this review offers a clear guide for designing new catalytic systems that fully utilize the energy available from both light and heat.
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