Photothermal Catalysis: Material Construction, Performance Enhancement, and Application Progress

Photothermal catalysis is an innovative technology that integrates photocatalysis and thermochemistry to realize efficient fullspectrum solar energy utilization. It overcomes the drawbacks of conventional photocatalysis such as narrow spectral response and rapid carrier recombination, as well as high energy consumption and poor selectivity in thermocatalysis. With improved energy conversion efficiency and reduced activation energy, it has become a hot research topic in catalysis. This review elaborates three core photothermal mechanisms and classifies catalytic systems by dominant reaction pathways. It focuses on structural design, performance regulation and structure–activity relationships of typical catalysts, and summarizes applications in CO 2 reduction, methane reforming, water splitting, and ammonia synthesis. Current research challenges are also analyzed. This work establishes a mechanism–guided framework to provide theoretical basis and technical guidance for designing advanced photothermal catalysts for clean energy conversion.