Catalysis

Engineering

Photochemistry

Materials science

Sunlight

Solar energy conversion

Solar energy

Biochemical engineering

Physics

Nanotechnology

Organic chemistry

Optics

Chemical energy

Photothermal therapy

Chemistry

Photocatalysis

Electrical engineering

Angewandte Chemie International Edition

When it comes to using solar energy to promote catalytic reactions, photocatalysis technology is the first choice. However, sunlight can not only be directly converted into chemical energy through a photocatalytic process, it can also be converted through different energy-transfer pathways. Using sunlight as the energy source, photocatalytic reactions can proceed independently, and can also be coupled with other catalytic technologies to enhance the overall catalytic efficiency. Therefore, sunlight-driven catalytic reactions are diverse, and need to be given a specific definition. We propose a timely perspective for catalytic reactions driven by sunlight and give them a specific definition, namely "solar energy catalysis". The concept of different types of solar energy catalysis, such as photocatalysis, photothermal catalysis, solar cell powered electrocatalysis, and pyroelectric catalysis, are highlighted. Finally, their limitations and future research directions are discussed.

Solar Energy Catalysis