In-situ prepared plasmonic V₂O_3−x catalyst: Catalyzing CO₂ reduction via surface plasmon resonance in near-infrared region

This study focuses on V₂O_3−x nanoparticles and systematically analyzes them as plasmonic solar-driven catalysts for the first time. It reveals that they exhibit the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) absorption characteristics in the near-infrared regions. By integrating in-situ characterization and theoretical calculation results, the mechanism of in-situ generation of oxygen vacancies (V_o) in V₂O₃ under irradiation and subsequently transformed into catalytically active V₂O_3−x is elucidated. Furthermore, the process in which V₂O_3−x generates hot electrons and holes through plasmon damping is analyzed, as well as its excellent effects in increasing the local temperature, providing active sites, and enhancing the light absorption capacity. V₂O_3−x demonstrates excellent performance in the reverse water-gas shift (RWGS) reaction, with a CO conversion rate of 668.48 mmol·g⁻¹·h⁻¹, with a CO selectivity exceeding 99.9%, and long-term stability for 90 h, highlighting the great potential of metal oxide plasmas in solar-driven catalysis. This research provides crucial insights into enhancing the solar-chemical energy conversion efficiency by utilizing the synergistic effect of LSPR and intrinsic interband transitions.