Engineering Plasmonic Reactors for Co ₂ Reduction: from Nanoscale Catalysts to Novel Reactors

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Plasmonic technology offers a powerful approach for efficient carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) reduction, holding great promise for sustainable energy and chemical production. This mini‐review highlights the synergistic role of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) materials and advanced reactor designs in enhancing CO 2 reduction performance. Plasmonic materials, such as gold, silver, and copper, exhibit unique optical properties that enable strong light absorption, hot‐carrier generation, and efficient CO 2 activation. By integrating these materials into optimized reactors, including membrane‐electrode assembly (MEA)‐like thin‐film electrodes and gas‐diffusion reactors, mass‐transfer limitations, and electrolyte resistance can be significantly reduced, boosting overall efficiency and selectivity. Key design strategies, such as nanostructuring, surface modification, and hybrid plasmonic‐semiconductor systems, are explored to optimize light harvesting, charge transfer, and catalytic stability. The mini‐review also addresses ongoing challenges related to catalyst durability, reactor scalability, and product separation, offering insights into future directions for developing practical and scalable LSPR‐based CO 2 reduction systems.