The conversion of solar energy into chemical energy through light-driven catalytic processes has emerged as an important research direction toward more sustainable chemical production. Within this field, photothermal catalysis has gained increasing attention as it combines light-induced electronic excitation with localized heating, offering opportunities to enhance reaction rates, improve catalytic performance and enable transformations that are difficult to achieve through conventional photocatalysis or thermal catalysis alone. The integration of photonic and thermal effects also opens new possibilities for designing catalytic systems in which the light source can be used not only as an excitation source but also as a means of controlling the reaction environment at the catalyst surface.

The purpose of the thematic issue entitled “Materials, Mechanisms and Applications in Photothermal Catalysis” is to highlight the latest advances in photothermal catalysis, with particular emphasis on the development of innovative catalytic materials, the elucidation of reaction mechanisms by means of advanced characterization or/and theoretical calculations, and the design of efficient strategies for light-driven chemical transformations. These include, but are not limited to, CO₂ conversion, hydrogen production, CH₄ activation, nitrogen activation, biomass/waste valorization, organic transformations and pollutant degradation.

Academic Editors:

Dr. Josep Albero Instituto de Tecnología Química (ITQ CSIC-UPV), Valencia, Spain.	Dr. Diego Mateo Instituto de Tecnología Química (ITQ CSIC-UPV), Valencia, Spain.

Submission Guideline:

Author submission guidelines can be found at: https://www.sciltp.com/journals/photocatalysis/instructionForAuthors.

When submitting your manuscript via the online submission portal: https://sciflux.org/authors/submissions/add-submissions?journalCode=1909189239670398977, please select the relevant Thematic Issue title.

All manuscripts will undergo peer review in accordance with the journal’s established policies and procedures. Final acceptance will be based on the peer-review reports and the evaluation of the Academic Editor(s) and the Editor-in-Chief. Decisions will be made by the Editor-in-Chief or Academic Editor(s) who have no conflicts of interest with any of the authors.