Recent advancement and future challenges of photothermal catalysis for VOCs elimination: From catalyst design to applications

Photothermal catalysis realizes the synergistic effect of solar energy and thermochemistry, which also has the potential to improve the reaction rate and optimize the selectivity. In this review, the research progress of photothermal catalytic removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by nano-catalysts in recent years is systematically reviewed. First, the fundamentals of photothermal catalysis and the fabrication of catalysts are described, and the design strategy of optimizing photothermal catalysis performance is proposed. Second, the performance for VOC degradation with photothermal catalysis is evaluated and compared for the batch and continuous systems. Particularly, the catalytic mechanism of VOC oxidation is systematically introduced based on experimental and theoretical study. Finally, the future limitations and challenges have been discussed, and potential research directions and priorities are highlighted. A broad view of recent photothermal catalyst fabrication, applications, challenges, and prospects can be systemically provided by this review.