Abstract

Catalysis is an integral part of majority of chemical operation focused on generation of value-added chemicals or fuels. Similarly, the extensive usage of fossil fuels, chemical compounds has deteriorated the environment where currently catalysis plays a key role in reviving it. Thermal catalysis and photocatalysis are two well know catalytic approaches which have applied to both energy and environmental fields. Thermo-photo-catalysis can be understood as a synergetic effect of the two catalytic processes with key importance in usage of renewable solar energy as thermal and light sources. In this review, we organize and update relevant contributions about thermo-photo-catalytic systems for environmental and energy applications. We look into the reported activity data and comparison with the conventional photocatalytic approach and in turn the basis of the photo-thermal fundamental analysis. Some of the novel systems based on the positive aspects of thermo-catalysis and photocatalysis could be the answer to the energy and environmental crisis taking into account the outstanding results in term of chemical efficiency and energy savings.