Guiding the Driving Factors on Plasma Super-Photothermal S-Scheme Core-Shell Nanoreactor to Enhance Photothermal Catalytic H₂ Evolution and Selective CO₂ Reduction

Light-induced heat has a non-negligible role in photocatalytic reactions. However, it is still challenging to design highly efficient catalysts that can make use of light and thermal energy synergistically. Herein, the study proposes a plasma super-photothermal S-scheme heterojunction core-shell nanoreactor based on manipulation of the driving factors, which consists of α-Fe₂O₃ encapsulated by g-C₃N₄ modified with gold quantum dots. α-Fe₂O₃ can promote carrier spatial separation while also acting as a thermal core to radiate heat to the shell, while Au quantum dots transfer energetic electrons and heat to g-C₃N₄ via surface plasmon resonance. Consequently, the catalytic activity of Au/α-Fe₂O₃@g-C₃N₄ is significantly improved by internal and external double hot spots, and it shows an H₂ evolution rate of 5762.35 µmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹, and the selectivity of CO₂ conversion to CH₄ is 91.2%. This work provides an effective strategy to design new plasma photothermal catalysts for the solar-to-fuel transition.