Coupling plasmonic hot-carrier generation and Schottky junctions in 1T-WS₂/CuInS₂ for enhanced photothermal CO₂ reduction

Photothermal catalysis offers a promising route for efficient CO₂ conversion by coupling photon excitation with localized thermal activation, yet its performance is often limited by inefficient charge separation and unclear photothermal–photocatalytic synergy. Herein, we report a plasmonic Schottky heterostructure composed of metallic 1T-phase WS₂ nanosheets and CuInS₂ hollow nanotubes that enables enhanced photothermal CO₂ reduction under full-spectrum irradiation. The intimate 1T-WS₂/CuInS₂ interface establishes a Schottky junction that drives directional electron transfer, while the localized surface plasmon resonance of 1T-WS₂ potentially generates hot carriers and localized heating, collectively accelerating interfacial charge separation and CO₂ activation. As a result, the optimized composite achieves CO and CH₄ production rates of 107.5 and 106.5 μmol·g⁻¹ ·h⁻¹ , respectively, representing nearly an order-of-magnitude enhancement over pristine CuInS₂ and far exceeding single photocatalytic or thermocatalytic processes. Photoelectrochemical measurements, in situ DRIFTS, and density functional theory calculations reveal that the photothermal synergy lowers the *COOH formation barrier and promotes proton-coupled electron transfer at the heterointerface. This work establishes metallic-phase transition-metal dichalcogenides as effective plasmonic cocatalysts for Schottky-junction-mediated photothermal CO₂ reduction, providing a general strategy for designing high-efficiency solar fuel systems.