Plasmonic Photocatalysis for CO 2 Reduction: Advances, Understanding and Possibilities.

Plasmonic photocatalysis for CO 2 reduction is attracting increasing attention due to appealing properties and great potential for real applications. In this review, the fundamentals of plasmonic photocatalysis and the most recent developments regarding its application in driving CO 2 reduction are reported. Firstly, we present the review on the mechanism of plasmonic photocatalytic CO 2 reduction, the energy transfer of plasmon, and the CO 2 reduction process on the catalyst surface. Then, the modulation on the plasmonic nanostructures and also the semiconductor counterpart to regulate CO 2 photoreduction is discussed. Next, the influence of the core-shell structure and the interface between the plasmonic metal and semiconductor on the CO 2 photoreduction performance is also outlined. In addition, the latest progress on the emerging direction regarding the plasmonic photocatalysis for methane dry reforming with CO 2 is especially emphasized. Finally, a summary on the challenges and prospects of this promising field are provided.