Greenhouse-inspired supra-photothermal CO2 catalysis

Mujin Cai, Zhiyi Wu, Zhao Li, Lu Wang, Wei Sun, Athanasios A. Tountas, Chaoran Li, Shenghua Wang, Kai Feng, Ao-Bo Xu, Sanli Tang, Alexandra Tavasoli, Meiwen Peng, Wenxuan Liu, Amr S. Helmy, Le He (), Geoffrey A. Ozin () and Xiaohong Zhang ()
Additional contact information
Mujin Cai: Soochow University
Zhiyi Wu: Soochow University
Zhao Li: Soochow University
Lu Wang: The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Wei Sun: University of Toronto
Athanasios A. Tountas: University of Toronto
Chaoran Li: Soochow University
Shenghua Wang: Soochow University
Kai Feng: Soochow University
Ao-Bo Xu: University of Western Ontario
Sanli Tang: University of Toronto
Alexandra Tavasoli: University of Toronto
Meiwen Peng: Soochow University
Wenxuan Liu: Soochow University
Amr S. Helmy: University of Toronto
Le He: Soochow University
Geoffrey A. Ozin: University of Toronto
Xiaohong Zhang: Soochow University

Nature Energy, 2021, vol. 6, issue 8, 807-814

Abstract: Abstract Converting carbon dioxide photocatalytically into fuels using solar energy is an attractive route to move away from a reliance on fossil fuels. Photothermal CO2 catalysis is one approach to achieve this, but improved materials that can more efficiently harvest and use solar energy are needed. Here, we report a supra-photothermal catalyst architecture—inspired by the greenhouse effect—that boosts the performance of a catalyst for CO2 hydrogenation compared to traditional photothermal catalyst designs. The catalyst consists of a nanoporous-silica-encapsulated nickel nanocrystal (Ni@p-SiO2), which is active for methanation and reverse water–gas shift reactions. Under illumination, the local temperatures achieved by Ni@p-SiO2 exceed those of Ni-based catalysts without the SiO2 shell. We suggest that the heat insulation and infrared shielding effects of the SiO2 sheath confine the photothermal energy of the nickel core, enabling a supra-photothermal effect. Catalyst sintering and coking is also lessened in Ni@p-SiO2, which may be due to spatial confinement effects.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41560-021-00867-w

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