A plasmonic nanoparticle catalyst for producing hydrocarbon molecules by light irradiation, which comprises at least one plasmonic provider and at least one catalytic property provider, wherein the plasmonic provider and the catalytic property provider are in contact with each other or have distance less than 200 nm, and molecular composition of the hydrocarbon molecules produced by light irradiation is temperature-dependent. And a method for producing hydrocarbon molecules by light irradiation utilizing the plasmonic nanoparticle catalyst.

The disclosure provides for the integration of a CO-consuming process, such as a gas fermentation process, with a CO.sub.2 to CO conversion system. The disclosure is capable of utilizing a CO.sub.2-comprising gaseous substrate generated by an industrial process and provides for one or more removal modules to remove at least one constituent from a CO.sub.2-comprising gaseous substrate prior to passage of the gaseous substrate to a CO.sub.2 to CO conversion system. The disclosure may further comprise one or more pressure modules, one or more CO.sub.2 concentration modules, one or more O.sub.2 separation modules, and/or a water electrolysis module. Carbon conversion efficiency is increased by recycling CO.sub.2 produced by a CO-consuming process to the CO.sub.2 to CO conversion process.

An alternative process and device for carrying out Fischer Tropsch (FT) syntheses is proposed, allowing the reactant entities that take part in the FT reaction to be activated and their contributions, whether by quantity or by proportion, to be adjusted. The process consists in making a particulate phase, optionally consisting of catalytic particles, flow through a reactor. While flowing through the reactor, the particulate phase is subjected at regular intervals to the action of a plasma obtained from a gas, such as hydrogen, thus enabling hydrogen activation for hydrogenation of carbon monoxide, or carbon monoxide activation in order to lengthen the carbon chains.

A plasmonic nanoparticle catalyst for producing hydrocarbon molecules by light irradiation, which comprises at least one plasmonic provider and at least one catalytic property provider, wherein the plasmonic provider and the catalytic property provider are in contact with each other or have distance less than 200 nm, and molecular composition of the hydrocarbon molecules produced by light irradiation is temperature-dependent. And a method for producing hydrocarbon molecules by light irradiation utilizing the plasmonic nanoparticle catalyst.

A multicomponent photocatalyst includes a reactive component optically, electronically, or thermally coupled to a plasmonic material. A method of performing a catalytic reaction includes loading a multicomponent photocatalyst including a reactive component optically, electronically, or thermally coupled to a plasmonic material into a reaction chamber; introducing molecular reactants into the reaction chamber; and illuminating the reaction chamber with a light source.

A method of making a multicomponent photocatalyst, includes inducing precipitation from a pre-cursor solution comprising a pre-cursor of a plasmonic material and a pre-cursor of a reactive component to form co-precipitated particles; collecting the co-precipitated particles; and annealing the co-precipitated particles to form the multicomponent photocatalyst comprising a reactive component optically, thermally, or electronically coupled to a plasmonic material.

A method for generating hydrocarbons using a solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) and a Fischer-Tropsch unit in a single microtubular reactor is described. This method can directly synthesize hydrocarbons from carbon dioxide and water. The method integrates high temperature co-electrolysis of H.sub.2O and CO.sub.2 and low temperature Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) process in a single microtubular reactor by designation of a temperature gradient along the axial length of the microtubular reactor. In practice, methods disclosed herein can provide direct conversion of CO.sub.2 to hydrocarbons for use as feedstock or energy storage.

A renewable fuel production system includes a carbon dioxide capture unit for extracting carbon dioxide from atmospheric air, a carbon dioxide electrolyzer for converting carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide, a water electrolyzer for converting water to hydrogen, a synfuels generator for converting carbon monoxide produced by the carbon dioxide electrolyzer and hydrogen produced by the water electrolyzer to a fuel. The fuel produced can be synthetic gasoline and/or synthetic diesel. A renewable fuel production process includes the steps of extracting carbon dioxide from atmospheric air via a carbon dioxide capture unit, converting carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide via a carbon dioxide electrolyzer, converting water to hydrogen via a water electrolyzer, and converting carbon monoxide produced via the carbon dioxide electrolyzer and H.sub.2 produced via the water electrolyzer to a fuel. The system is also capable of simultaneously or alternatively producing a separate industrial chemical.

A plasmonic nanoparticle catalyst for producing hydrocarbon molecules by light irradiation, which comprises at least one plasmonic provider and at least one catalytic property provider, wherein the plasmonic provider and the catalytic property provider are in contact with each other or have distance less than 200 nm, and molecular composition of the hydrocarbon molecules produced by light irradiation is temperature-dependent. And a method for producing hydrocarbon molecules by light irradiation utilizing the plasmonic nanoparticle catalyst.

A method of making a multicomponent photocatalyst, includes inducing precipitation from a pre-cursor solution comprising a pre-cursor of a plasmonic material and a pre-cursor of a reactive component to form co-precipitated particles; collecting the co-precipitated particles; and annealing the co-precipitated particles to form the multicomponent photocatalyst comprising a reactive component optically, thermally, or electronically coupled to a plasmonic material.