In heterogeneous industrial chemical production, many chemical processes occur at high and specific temperatures, requiring energy both to start and maintain the reaction due to either energy loss via endothermic process, or the need for energy dissipation in the case of exothermic processes. Much of this energy is wasted maintaining the temperature of the entirety of the reaction mixture, rather than only the catalytic sites. Solid catalysts are already an effective and key element in most industrial chemical production. However, if the catalyst could also serve as a heat source via photothermal heating, this catalyst could now serve the dual purpose of heating, thus reducing energy waste, as well as its traditional role of being the key site for chemical transformations. The key is the photothermal heating of nanoparticles via solar light. If illuminated with light equivalent to 1-5 suns and kept thermally isolated, nanoparticles become superheated well beyond the bulk temperatures of their surroundings. As a test reaction, we chose to study a surface driven reaction that produces methane from hydrogen and carbon dioxide at 400 oC – the Sabatier reaction. This reaction is traditionally mediated by a nickel catalyst and used for CO2 recycling or scrubbing. We've identified a method by which Nickel nanoparticles may be heated and maintained at their reactive temperature using solar spectrum light, without the need for wither external heating or active heat dissipation. This result is promising both for the specific uses of the Sabatier reaction in solar fuel production and space travel, but also for possible extensions to other important industrial catalysis reactions.

High temperature catalysis at low bulk temperatures using sunlight and nanoparticles: Photothermal production of methane and water from CO2 and hydrogen

256th National Meeting (2018)

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