Light and heat team up: tunable selectivity in CO2 photo-thermal reduction by perovskite-supported Pd nanoparticles

Photo-thermal catalysis has recently emerged as a promising alternative to overcome the limitations of traditional photocatalysis. Despite its potential, most of the photo-thermal systems still lack adequate selectivity patterns and appropriate analysis on the underlying reaction pathways, thus hampering a wide implementation. Herein, we report the preparation of a novel photocatalyst based on Pd nanoparticles (NPs) supported on barium titanate (BTO) for the selective photo-thermal reduction of CO 2 that displays catalytic rates of up to 8.2 mol CO /g Pd ·h. The photocatalyst allows for a tailored selectivity towards CO or CH 4 as a function of the metal loading or the light intensity. Mechanistic studies indicate that both thermal and non-thermal contributions of light play a role in the overall reaction pathway, each of them being dominant upon changing reaction conditions.