LAUSR

Abstract The utilization of sunlight and the catalytic effect of the photothermal catalytic reduction of CO2 in the full solar spectrum are improved based on photocatalysis, providing new ideas for mitigating the greenhouse effect and energy crisis. The photothermal catalysis in the full solar spectrum has great development potential. In this paper, by thoroughly discussing the mechanism of light and heat respectively, the photothermal synergy in photothermal catalysis can be explained, the difficulty in exploring the photothermal synergy are solved. This review not only comprehensively and deeply explores the action mechanism of light and heat, but also focuses on the reaction mechanism of photothermal catalytic reduction of CO2, the yield and selectivity of photothermal catalysts. Increasing the surface temperature of the catalyst by photothermal effect, exciting carriers, and high-energy hot electrons, realizing photoactivation, changing the adsorption site and adsorption energy, and reducing the activation energy barrier and reaction temperature are manifested as the action mechanism of light. Increasing the rate of diffusion, adsorption, charge transfer and reaction, providing the energy required to cross the activation energy barrier, and activating thermal active sites are manifested as the action mechanism of heat. Oxygen vacancies are conducive to adsorption, thermal activation and cracking of reactive molecules.