Dynamic precise control of catalytic processes and rational management of reaction heat are key challenges in improving the selectivity and energy efficiency. Herein, in this work, paraffin wax (PW) was encapsulated within a silver nanoparticle-decorated halloysite aerogel (Ag/HNTA) to construct a light-harvesting catalytic composite (PW@Ag/HNTA) with integrated photothermal conversion, thermal energy storage, and catalytic functionality. The as-prepared PW@Ag/HNTA utilizes the light-controlled solid–liquid phase transition of PW to achieve reversible exposure and shielding of Ag active sites, thereby enabling precise on-demand “on/off” control of the catalytic reaction rather than continuous rate modulation. The latent heat of phase transition is simultaneously utilized to promote reaction rates, while the bulk three-dimensional aerogel structure addresses the challenge of recovering the powder catalyst. By transforming the phase change process from a passive thermal effect into an active regulatory handle for catalytic accessibility, this work provides a new approach for developing precision-tunable, low-energy-consumption, industrial-scale catalytic systems with on-demand regulation, efficient thermal management, and easy recovery properties, accordingly offering broad application prospects in catalytic reactions.
Chai et al. (Wed,) studied this question.