Recently, Professor Zhang Hongzhong from the College of Material and Chemical Engineering, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry (ZZULI), in collaboration with Professor Mario Berrettoni from the University of Camerino, Italy, published a research paper entitled "Photothermal dual Z-scheme Bi₂WO₆/NiWO₄/g-C₃N₄ heterojunction for efficient solar-driven and waste-heat-assisted CO₂-to-CO conversion" (DOI: 10.1016/j.apcatb.2026.127384) inApplied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy (CAS Q1 TOP journal, IF=19.7), an influential and authoritative international journal in the environment and energy field. The study constructs an innovative photothermal dual Z-scheme heterojunction catalytic system that achieves efficient solar-driven CO₂ conversion with waste heat from industrial flue gas, marking another important progress made by the team in CO₂resource utilization. Doctoral student Meng Yang and master's student Zhang Yixin are co-first authors. Professor Zhang Hongzhong and Professor Mario Berrettoni are co-corresponding authors, and ZZULI is the first affiliated institution.

Industrial flue gas represents a major anthropogenic CO₂ emission source and is often accompanied by the direct discharge of substantial low-grade waste heat, creating both carbon-emission pressure and energy loss. To address this issue, BW/Ni-CN, a ternary dual Z-scheme photothermal catalyst, was constructed via stepwise hydrothermal and liquid phase assembly, using g-C₃N₄ as the central reduction unit and Bi₂WO₆ and NiWO₄ as dual tungstate-based oxidation units. Among them,NiWO₄ broadened light absorption and enhanced photothermal conversion capability of the catalyst, while g-C₃N₄ promoted interfacial charge separation and provided electron-rich sites for CO₂ activation. Under simulated solar irradiation,BW/Ni-CN achieved photothermal-coupled reduction of low-concentration CO₂ in flue gas, with a CO evolution rate of 355 μmol·g⁻¹·h⁻¹.When external heating at 80°C was introduced to simulate flue-gas waste heat, the rate further rose to 954 μmol·g⁻¹·h⁻¹, approximately 2.7 times that under solar irradiation alone, with a high CO selectivity of 99.6%. In situXPS, KPFM, EPR, and charge-density-difference analyses revealed the pattern of photoinduced electron redistribution, and substantiated the dual Z-scheme charge-transfer pathway. In situDRIFTS and DFT calculations verified a *COOH-mediated CO₂ reduction mechanism, revealing that g-C₃N₄ coupling lowers the energy barriers for both CO₂ reduction and water oxidation, and that thermal input further promotes the formation of *COOHintermediates. This work offers new perspectives and experimental-theoretical foundations for designing multicomponent photothermal dualZ-scheme catalysts that integrate solar-driven CO₂ conversion with industrial waste-heat utilization.

Supported by the Henan Provincial Key R&D Special Program – Key International Science and Technology Cooperation Project (251111520300), the team led by Professor Zhang Hongzhong has conducted systematic research on catalytic CO₂ conversion, yielding advances across multiple technological routes, including photocatalysis, thermocatalysis, photothermal catalysis, and electro-assisted photocatalysis. In photocatalysis, the team constructed anS-scheme heterojunction Cu-porphyrin/TiO₂ nanosheet catalytic system, which for the first time enabled stable and efficient reduction of low-concentration atmospheric CO₂ at the gas–solid interface in the absence of sacrificial agents and alkaline absorbents, achieving a CO₂ conversion rate of 50.4%. In electro-assisted photocatalysis, the team developed a dual-chamber dual-interface electro-assisted photocatalytic system based onAg/TiO₂ nanotube arrays (Ag/TNTAs). The synergy of P-N heterojunction, surface plasmon resonance, and a solid agar electrolyte that suppressed H₂ evolution reaction enabled efficient and highly selective conversion of atmospheric CO₂ to CO. In photothermal coupled catalysis, the team successively developed multiple efficient catalytic systems, includingg-C₃N₄/TiO₂/MXene, CuTCPP/MXene/TiO₂, Zr-MOF/MXene, NH₂-MXene/MOF, NH₂-MXene/TiO₂/ZnTCPP, and Bi₂WO₆/NiWO₄/g-C₃N₄. Fully exploiting the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect and high conductivity of MXene, the CO₂ adsorption capability of MOFs, and the broad-spectrum response of porphyrin photosensitizers, these systems achieved efficient and directed conversion of flue-gas CO₂ at 80-100°C, with a CO selectivity of 100%. In thermocatalysis driven by waste heat, the team developed aPt/MXene catalyst with excellent thermal catalytic performance at 60-100°C, featuring a CH₄ production rate at 461 μmol·g⁻¹·h⁻¹, and achieving selective regulation of dual products (CH₄/CO) under thermal catalytic and photothermal conditions. To sum up, these research results form a complete technological chain spanning direct capture and conversion of atmosphericCO₂ to synergetic use of industrial flue-gas waste heat. Following an open and collaborative research philosophy, Professor Zhang Hongzhong's team maintains a long-term and stable partnership withProfessor Mario Berrettoni's team. Both sides have co-authored several papers, and co-supervisedfive doctoral and nine master's students, effectively strengthening the international influence of the discipline and the quality of talent cultivation.

Appendix: Summary of Representative Papers by Professor Zhang Hongzhong's Team on Catalytic CO₂ Conversion Published in The Past Three Years