Which Future Route in the Methanol Synthesis? Photocatalytic Reduction of CO2, the New Challenge in the Solar Energy Exploitation

The practical exploitation of solar energy for the methanol synthesis is a very attractive research topic for its extraordinary impacts from energetic and environmental points of view. Low photoconversion efficiency and poor product selectivity represent the main process drawbacks, due to a combination of thermodynamic, kinetic, and engineering factors. New photocatalytic materials at high "quantum yield" and innovative photoreactor configurations are under scrutiny to overcome the technological limits of methanol synthesis, especially onsidering a 100% quantum efficiency of the current solar panels technology. A strongly rising concern in the artificial "methanol hotosynthesis" is conceivable in the next future, considering the recent significant advances on materials and reactors development.