Infrared Photothermal Catalytic Reduction of Atmospheric CO2 Into CO with 100% Selectivity via Dual-Plasmon Resonance Conductor

Today, the fabrication of carbon monoxide (CO) in industry customarily necessitates elevated temperature and pressure. Concurrently, the harnessing of infrared (IR) light, which constitutes ≈50% of solar energy, has predominantly remained unexploited due to a pronounced contradiction between the utilization of IR light and CO₂ photoreduction. To break the above limitation, a dual-plasmon resonance conductor with a metallic nature is designed, which realizes the synthesis of CO with 100% selectivity from infrared photothermal catalytic reduction of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂). Taking the Au particles loaded Cu₇Te₄ nanowires as an example, the surface dual-plasmon resonance coupling effect can optimize the three critical processes of CO₂ photoreduction, in which it is illustrated that the dual-plasmon resonance effect lowers the thermodynamic reaction energy barrier, facilitating the selective generation of CO products. Consequently, the Au-Cu₇Te₄ nanowires manifest a CO evolution rate of ≈2.7 µmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ with 100% selectivity for atmospheric CO₂ reduction driven by IR light, several times higher than that of the Cu₇Te₄ nanowires.