Pt–In₂O₃/CeO₂ for photothermal catalytic CO₂ hydrogenation to methanol under atmospheric pressure: targeted regulation of In₂O₃ on key intermediate species

Photothermal catalytic CO₂ hydrogenation to methanol has emerged as a promising sustainable route for converting CO₂ into value-added fuels. However, designing an advanced photothermal catalyst simultaneously enhancing methanol production rate and selectivity remains a critical challenge in developing efficient catalytic systems. Herein, a Pt–In₂O₃/CeO₂ catalyst which incorporates In₂O₃ onto Pt/CeO₂ catalyst was synthesized for CO₂ hydrogenation to methanol, achieving a tenfold enhancement in CH₃OH production (178 μmol/g_cat/h) compared to the pristine Pt/CeO₂ catalyst (18 μmol/g_cat/h) under atmospheric pressure. Systematic structural, electronic and optical characterizations revealed that the incorporation of In₂O₃ constructed dual interfacial sites: the Pt^δ+-CeO₂ sites facilitating H₂ dissociation, and the oxygen-vacancy-rich In₂O₃/CeO₂ interfaces promoting CO₂ activation and stabilizing HCOO∗ intermediates. This synergistic dual-interface mechanism suppressed the RWGS pathway and enhanced methanol selectivity, which together with the improved photothermal charge utilization, underpinned the catalyst's superior performance. This work demonstrates that rational interfacial engineering can effectively steer the CO₂ to methanol pathway under ambient photothermal conditions, providing design strategy for methanol synthesis catalysts.