Photo-/thermal synergies in heterogeneous catalysis: Towards low-temperature (solar-driven) processing for sustainable energy and chemicals

There is growing recognition that cooperative effects exist under dual-mode (photo-thermal) heterogeneous catalytic excitation offer genuine prospects in the transition to a sustainable energy and chemicals economy. Solar beams can act as practical combined source of photons heat (via non-radiative relaxation after optical absorption) lead process intensification. This review provides critical update appraisal advances photo-/thermal synergies catalysis, now burgeoning field. It begins by classifying possible co-excitation driving paradigm shift catalyst design towards inclusion pan-spectral absorbers, e.g., narrow-gap semiconductors and/or plasmonic nanoparticulate metals. Photo-thermo- (micro)reactors concentrators are surveyed photophysics electronic briefly outlined. Emphasis on impact selected processes importance tomorrow’s solar-biorefineries, i.e., hydrogen generation oxygenate(s) reforming, specialty compounds oxygenates conversion, CO2 reduction/hydrogenation for solar fuels, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis renewable hydrocarbons.