Plasmonic Enhancement & Mechanistic Insights in CO₂ Photoreduction
- Auteur
- Aug 4
- 1 min read
The POWER CO₂ Days! | September 7–9, 2026 | Lyon, France
Day 2: Nano Engineering
Artificial photosynthesis offers a highly attractive 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 solve this, the team rationally designed Pt–Cu/TiO₂ photocatalysts to exploit the powerful synergy between Pt and Cu. Through comprehensive characterization, they optimized the metal composition and metal–support interactions to achieve efficient electron trapping, plasmon-assisted visible-light absorption, and enhanced CO₂ reduction.
The results speak for themselves: these optimized 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 comprehensive reaction mechanism that links electronic properties to performance.
Don't miss this deep dive into interfacial engineering and the future of solar-driven CO₂ conversion!
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