Plasmonic Enhancement & Mechanistic Insights in CO₂ Photoreduction

The POWER CO₂ Days! | September 7–9, 2026 | Lyon, France

Day 2: Nano Engineering

Artificial photosynthesis proposes a route for converting CO₂ into energy-rich solar fuels while simultaneously mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.

We are excited to welcome Valérie Keller (co-author Eliane Khoury) to present their latest research on gas-phase CO₂ photoreduction using water vapor as a proton source under visible and simulated solar irradiation.

While TiO₂ remains a robust and widely studied semiconductor, its wide band gap and charge-carrier recombination limit its solar efficiency. To address this, the team designed Pt–Cu/TiO₂ photocatalysts to exploit Pt - Cu synergy  and achieved efficient electron trapping, plasmon-assisted visible-light absorption, and enhanced CO₂ reduction.

These bimetallic photocatalysts deliver markedly improved methane production compared to monometallic analogues.

Thanks to in-situ and operando spectroscopic investigations (in collaboration with IFPEN), the team also identified key reaction intermediates and active surface species—ultimately proposing a reaction mechanism that links electronic properties to performance.

Don't miss this talk about interfacial engineering for solar-driven CO₂ conversion!

#CO2Photoreduction #BimetallicCatalysts #Plasmonics #NanoEngineering #VisibleLight #Catalysis #SolarFuels