Impact of photothermal effect on the whole process of photoelectrocatalytic water splitting and CO2 reduction

Photothermal-assisted photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) water splitting or CO2 reduction, based on integration of photothermal conversion and photochemistry by coupling photothermal material with a semiconductor photoelectrode, provides a promising platform for converting solar energy into chemical fuels through co-utilization of charge carriers and thermal energy. In this review, starting with a fundamental overview of the photothermal-assisted PEC systems containing semiconductor photoelectrodes and photothermal materials for water splitting and CO2 reduction, the state-of-the-art progresses regarding how the photothermal effect influences the whole process, including light absorption, charge transport abilities, surface reaction process, and bubbles motion kinetics of the semiconductor photoelectrodes, are comprehensively reviewed. Finally, we conclude by summarizing the current challenges and providing future perspectives on the development of photothermal-assisted PEC systems for water splitting and CO2 reduction. It is highly believed that this timely review bridges the fundamental understanding of photothermal-enhanced carrier and mass transport with the practical design of efficient PEC systems for sustainable solar fuel production.