Efficient reduction of CO₂ to high value-added compounds via photo-thermal catalysis: Mechanisms, catalysts and apparatuses

The high-efficiency reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) to high value-added compounds is of paramount importance for ameliorating energy shortage and reducing greenhouse effect. Photo-thermal catalysis (PTC) can be exploited not only to utilize solar energy, but also to enable efficient chemical reactions with comparably moderate circumstances, which has been proven promising for activation and conversion of CO₂. Herein, PTC strategy combining photocatalysis (PC) and thermocatalysis (TC) processes, along with the influence of reaction conditions on them are summarized. Particularly, design of the catalyst and their modified materials that can utilize the advantages of photothermal reactions, along with the relevant catalytic mechanisms in the process of CO₂ conversion, have been systematically summarized. Besides, the photo-thermal reactor can facilitate concurrent solar photo- and thermo-chemical reactions in laboratory scale and the basic principle would be useful for future design of productive scale are given as well. We expect that this review will stimulate further investigation of novel catalytic materials and apparatuses for PTC reduction of CO₂ and of previously un-reported features of existing catalytic materials to uncover underlying “diamonds in the rough”.