Z. Dong†, W. Chen†, R. Qiao, Y. Long, M. Jian, M. Xu, Z. Tang,

 X. Nie, J. Yin, Y. Liu*, Z. Hu, Y. Zhu*

J. Energy Chem（IF：15.6），Available online 16 February 2026

a b s t r a c t 

 To realize an ideal photocatalyst for CO2 photoreduction to CH4, developing an ‘‘all-in-one” optimization  system that targets every elementary step in the photocatalytic CO2 methanation is highly desirable but  remains a great challenge. Here, we present a unique rare-earth modulation strategy to collectively reg ulate the behaviors of light adsorption, charge separation, reactant supply, and active sites in the photo catalysis process for achieving highly active, selective, stable, and economic CO2 methanation  photocatalysts. Particularly, the proof-of-concept CuPr alloy quantum dots-decorated TiO2 photocatalysts  optimized with rare-earth elements and compositions (denoted as TiO2-Cu7Pr1 AQDs) exhibit outstand ing photocatalytic activity with a CH4 production rate of 792.6 lmol g−1 h−1 and electron selectivity of  96.6%, surpassing various state-of-the-art photocatalysts ever reported. Comprehensive experiments and theoretical analysis demonstrate that rare-earth regulation can create multiple advantageous condi tions targeting different steps, which enable TiO2-Cu7Pr1 to fulfill the essential criteria for an ideal high efficiency non-noble-metal photocatalyst for CO2 methanation, including favorable light absorption, enriched reactant supply of CO2/H+, rapid carrier separation and transfer, as well as highly active metha nation site. The proposed all-in-one design concept in this work not only develops a noble-metal-free photocatalyst with ultrahigh performance toward photocatalytic CO2 methanation but also provides sig nificant inspiration in various photocatalysis applications.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jechem.2026.02.009