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, sufficient metal‐semiconductor contact is essential for efficient electron transfer to reactive centers. Herein, we report an Au@In2O3 core‐shell structure, 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.