Enhanced Methanol Production Through Photo‐Assisted CO₂ Hydrogenation Using Au@In₂O₃ Core‐Shell Structures

The antenna‐reactor (AR) nanostructure integrates the superior optical properties of plasmonic antennas with the high catalytic activity of reactor components, addressing limitations of semiconductor‐based catalysts like poor light absorption and low photon efficiency. To fully utilize hot electrons from the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect, a sufficient metal‐semiconductor contact is essential for efficient electron transfer to reactive centers. Herein, an Au@In₂O₃ core‐shell structure is reported, where the incorporation of Au extends the light absorption of In₂O₃ into the visible region. Under illumination, hot electrons produced by the Au LSPR effect are efficiently transferred across the Au‐In₂O₃ interface to In₂O₃, resulting in a 56% enhancement in methanol production rate compared to dark conditions. This work expands the compositional scope of AR systems and provides a valuable reference for designing catalysts for photo‐assisted thermal/photothermal catalytic CO₂ hydrogenation to methanol.