K-Doped CoCu Alloy to Boost Photothermal CO2 Hydrogenation Under Non-concentrated Natural Solar Irradiation

Qixuan Wu; Dingyuan Zhang; Yanze Wang; Dachao Yuan; Fulong Dong; Yaguang Li; Jinhua Ye

doi:10.1007/s12209-026-00502-3

Transactions of Tianjin University ›› :1 -12. DOI: 10.1007/s12209-026-00502-3

Research Article

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K-Doped CoCu Alloy to Boost Photothermal CO₂ Hydrogenation Under Non-concentrated Natural Solar Irradiation

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¹Research Center for Solar Driven Carbon Neutrality, Engineering Research Center of Zero-Carbon Energy Buildings and Measurement Techniques, Ministry of Education, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, The College of Physics Science and Technology, Hebei University, 071002, Baoding, China

²College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Hebei Agricultural University, 071001, Baoding, China

³Advanced Catalytic Materials Research Center, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, 300072, Tianjin, China

⁴International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (WPI-MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki, 305-0044, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan

^a fldonghb@hbu.edu.cn

^b liyaguang@hbu.edu.cn

Qixuan Wu

Qixuan Wu is a Ph.D. candidate in Prof. Yaguang Li’s group at the Research Center for Solar-Driven Carbon Neutrality, Hebei University. Her recent research focuses on photothermal catalysis, particularly natural-sunlight-driven photothermal hydrogen production and carbon dioxide valorization. She has published more than five SCI-indexed papers as the first author or co-first author in internationally recognized journals, including Science Advances, Advanced Functional Materials, Science China Chemistry, Chinese Journal of Catalysis, and Catalysis Science & Technology.

Dingyuan Zhang

Dingyuan Zhang is an undergraduate student in Prof. Yaguang Li’s group at the Research Center for Solar-Driven Carbon Neutrality, Hebei University. His research focuses on photothermal catalysis and solar-driven carbon neutrality, with particular emphasis on natural-sunlight-driven carbon dioxide valorization.

Yanze Wang

Yanze Wang is a master’s student in Prof. Yaguang Li’s group at the Research Center for Solar-Driven Carbon Neutrality, Hebei University. His research focuses on photothermal catalysis and solar-driven carbon neutrality, with particular emphasis on natural-sunlight-driven photothermal hydrogen production and carbon dioxide valorization.

Dachao Yuan

Dachao Yuan is an associate professor and master’s supervisor at Hebei Agricultural University. Her research has long focused on photothermal catalysis, biomass conversion, and biomass utilization. Over the past five years, she has published more than 20 papers in high-impact journals, including Green Chemistry, Science China Chemistry, Applied Surface Science, Nature Communications, Nano Energy, and Journal of Materials Chemistry A, with a cumulative impact factor exceeding 210.

Fulong Dong

Fulong Dong is an Associate Professor in Hebei University. He received his Ph.D. from the Graduate School of China Academy of Engineering Physics in 2023 and subsequently joined Hebei University, where he is currently affiliated with the Research Center for Solar-Driven Carbon Neutrality. His research focuses primarily on theoretical and computational studies of photothermal catalysis and ultrafast optics, particularly on the theoretical investigation of hydrogen production and CO₂ conversion, as well as ultrafast electron dynamics in materials and catalytic systems. He has also contributed to the development of a series of large-scale photothermal catalytic systems driven by natural sunlight in collaboration with his research team, with their application potential further demonstrated through pilot-scale applications.

Yaguang Li

Yaguang Li is a Research Professor and Doctoral Supervisor in Hebei University. He has been recognized as a Yan-Zhao Young Scientist of Hebei Province and a recipient of the Hebei Provincial Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars. He received his Ph.D. from the School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, in 2015. He subsequently joined Hebei University, where he is currently affiliated with the Research Center for Solar-Driven Carbon Neutrality. His recent research focuses primarily on photothermal catalysis, particularly natural-sunlight-driven photothermal hydrogen production and CO₂ valorization. He and his team have developed a series of large-scale photothermal catalytic systems driven by natural sunlight and further demonstrated their potential through pilot-scale applications. He has published more than 100 SCI-indexed papers in leading international journals, including Nature Energy, Nature Catalysis, Science Advances, Nature Communications, National Science Review, Energy & Environmental Science, Advanced Materials, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, Advanced Energy Materials, and Advanced Functional Materials.

Jinhua Ye

Jinhua Ye is a Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at Hebei University, a Foreign Member of the Academia Europaea, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC). She currently serves as the Director of the Research Center for Solar-Driven Carbon Neutrality at Hebei University. Her research has long focused on the development of advanced photothermal catalytic materials and semiconductor photocatalytic materials, as well as their applications in solar energy conversion and environmental purification. She has led and participated in numerous major research programs supported by the Japanese government and industry, as well as China’s National Basic Research Program (973 Program) and Key Programs of the National Natural Science Foundation of China. She has published more than 600 research papers in leading international journals, including Nature, Nature Materials, Nature Catalysis, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, Journal of the American Chemical Society, and Nature Communications. Her publications have received approximately 80,000 citations, with an h-index of 134. She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2016 and has been recognized as a Highly Cited Researcher for multiple consecutive years.

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Abstract

The efficient utilization of carbon dioxide (CO₂) is crucial for sustainable development, and the reverse water–gas shift reaction (RWGS) offers a promising pathway for CO₂ conversion. Herein, we develop a highly efficient 5%K/CoCu catalyst to boost low-temperature RWGS and photothermal CO₂ hydrogenation under non-concentrated natural solar irradiation. At 300 °C, 5%K/CoCu achieves a carbon monoxide (CO) production rate of 1009 mmol/(g·h) with 98.3% CO selectivity, markedly outperforming conventional Cu–Co alloy catalysts. Experimental characterizations and theoretical calculations reveal that the synergy among K, Co, and Cu promotes CO₂ adsorption and activation while weakening CO binding, thereby facilitating CO formation. Benefiting from its excellent low-temperature activity and stability, 5%K/CoCu maintains a CO production rate of 955 mmol/(g·h) for over 124 h under 0.5 sun irradiation. During outdoor photothermal RWGS operation under non-concentrated solar irradiation, the catalyst delivered a total CO production of 42.96 L per day, while the photochemical energy conversion efficiency reached up to 15.77%. This work provides a promising strategy for designing efficient low-temperature RWGS catalysts and advancing solar-driven CO₂-to-CO conversion under nonconcentrated solar irradiation.

Keywords

CO₂ hydrogenation / Photothermal / Non-concentrated solar irradiation / Alloy / Alkali metal modification

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Qixuan Wu, Dingyuan Zhang, Yanze Wang, Dachao Yuan, Fulong Dong, Yaguang Li, Jinhua Ye. K-Doped CoCu Alloy to Boost Photothermal CO₂ Hydrogenation Under Non-concentrated Natural Solar Irradiation. Transactions of Tianjin University 1-12 DOI:10.1007/s12209-026-00502-3

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