Design and screening of high-performance catalytic materials based on the synergistic effects of multimodal energy carriers: A review

The excessive use of CO₂ poses significant challenges, such as rising concentration of greenhouse gases causing environmental disruption, rising sea levels, and depletion of economic resources. The prominent ways to convert CO₂ into sustainable fuels include thermochemical, electrochemical, and photochemical methods. Photothermal CO₂ conversion offers the significant advantage of reducing activation energy, enhancing reaction rates, and improving product selectivity. Extensive information on synergistic catalysts has been provided for CO₂ conversion, which increases reaction rates by coordinating photo and thermal energy to encourage two effects—photo and thermo—thereby overcoming intrinsic energy barriers of the CO₂ conversion reaction. This review particularly signifies the importance of metal-organic frameworks due to their stable structure, efficient access to multiple active sites, and better molecular control. A particular focus on manganese-based metal-organic framework (MOF) catalysts is presented due to their strong paramagnetic characteristics, redox activity, and stable oxidation states. Various parameters that influence the conversion are also considered, such as microstructure, strong metal support, nanomaterials, and single-atom catalyst. Key engineering challenges, such as techno-economic analysis, scalability, and efficient reactor design, have also been discussed, which center on molecular physics and materials durability. Recent advances have also been incorporated into this review, signifying the importance of computational techniques and kinetic modelling applications of MOF-based catalysts. Finally, future perspectives emphasize the key upcoming factors and offer a guideline for further advancement of CO₂ conversion.