ZHANG Hongbo， WANG Chuanjiao
School of Materials Science and Engineering， Nankai University， Tianjin 300350， China
Abstract
Significance With the rapid development of global industrialization， energy scarcity and environmental pollution have become urgent problems.The pursuit of green and sustainable energy and technologies is key to solving these issues. Solar energy， as an ideal green energy source， holds immense potential for development. In 1911， the concept of “photocatalysis” first appeared when ZnO irradiation was found to bleach Prussian blue pigment. In 1972， the use of Pt as the counter electrode and TiO2 as an anode under UV irradiation effectively promoted water splitting for hydrogen production， marking a milestone in photocatalysisre-search.In recent years， to achieve carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals while reducing greenhouse gas emissions， photoc-atalytic technology has been introduced into thermal catalysis processes to give full play to the synergistic effects of both processes， thereby improving overall catalyticperformance. Photothermal catalysis combines the high selectivity of photocatalysis with the thermal driving force.This synergistic approach improves the reaction rate and selectivity， offering an effective approach to address the high energy consumption and emission associated with traditional thermal catalysis and low efficiency of conventional photocatalysis.As a rapidly emerging field，photothermal catalysis holds great potential for advancing green and sustainable development.
Progress Photothermal catalysis mainly includes semiconductor catalysis and plasmonic metal catalysis.In semiconductor-based photothermal catalysis， a semiconductor serves as the main catalyst， with a metal co-catalyst facilitating electron transfer.When incident light energy exceeds the band gap of the semiconductor， electrons transition from the ground state to the excited state.Through effective separation and transfer，these electrons migrate to the co-catalyst， driving reduction or oxidation reactions. In plasmonic metal catalysis， when the incident light energy surpasses the natural frequency of electrons on the metal surface， hot electrons and local electric fields are generated. The reaction mechanism of photothermal catalysis is more complicated. It involves photo-induced thermal effects， where photoreactions and thermoreactions share the same reaction mechanism， and photo-excited hot electron dynamics， where multiple oscillatory and relaxation effects of hot electrons influence reactant conversion.Also， hot electrons can be injected into the antibonding orbitals of adsorbed reactant molecules， which in turn promotes their act-ivation.Due to these complexities， the interplay between light and heat in photothermal catalytic systems remains to be explored.Kinetic analysis provides valuable insights into these mechanisms. By identifying adsorbed species on catalyst surfaces， confirm-ing rate-determining step （RDS）， and assessing the role of light， kinetic tools help elucidate reaction pathways. Pressure-depe-ndent experiments further reveal the reaction orders of reactants， intermediates， and products， offering insights into reaction progression and surface species abundance. Specifically， kinetic studies demonstrate that the introduction of light facilitates the transformation of major surface-adsorbed species. The contribution of light to catalytic activity can also be estimated through activation energy measurements， and kinetic isotope effect （KIE） testing plays an important role in confirming RDS and reaction mechanisms.
Conclusions and Prospects Under the background of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality， photothermal catalysis has demonst-rated increasingly significant research value in reducing energy consumption and addressing environmental pollution. It exhibits unique advantages in enhancing catalytic reaction performance. However， the reaction dynamics of photothermal catalysis are highly complex，and the interaction between light and thermal energy is not a simple superposition of their individual effects. The mechanism by which these two forms of energy influence reaction pathways remains unclear and requires further investigation.Despite these uncertainties， kinetic studies have provided valuable insights into the role of light in photothermal catalysis. By analyzing reaction orders， researchers have assessed the adsorption states of species on the catalyst surface. The contribution of light has been quantified through activation energy measurements， while rate-determining steps （RDS） have been identified using KIE. The evolution of reactant molecules on the catalyst surface during photothermal reactions can be tracked kinetically， providing valuable insights into potential reaction pathways. This approach is crucial for understanding the mechanisms of photo-thermal catalysis and plays a crucial role in optimizing catalyst design for improved efficiency and stability.
Keywords： photothermal catalysis； kinetic study； catalytic mechanism
Get Citation:ZHANG Hongbo， WANG Chuanjiao. Photothermal synergistic catalysis and associated kinetics［J］. China Powder Science and Technology， 2025， 31（5）： 1-11.
Received:2024-11-18 .Revised: 2025-02-07 ,Online: 2025-05-19
Funding Project: 国家自然科学基金项目，编号：22172078。
First Author: 张洪波（1983—），男，特聘研究员，博士，博士生导师，研究方向为化学反应动力学， 纳米催化。E-mail：hbzhang@nankai.edu.cn。
DOI：10.13732/j.issn.1008-5548.2025.05.002
CLC No: O643.32；TB4 Type Code: A
Serial No:1008-5548（2025）05-0001-11
