In this episode of Papers Illuminated – Člankarnica we are joined by researchers Petar Djinović and Miha Okorn from the Laboratory for Catalysis at the National Institute of Chemistry. Together they explore an intriguing question: can visible light help convert carbon dioxide into something useful?

Their recent research shows how light can accelerate the catalytic conversion of CO₂ into carbon monoxide (CO), an important building block used in the chemical industry to produce fuels and chemicals. By combining heat and visible light in a process called photothermal catalysis, the team discovered that reactions can run faster and potentially more efficiently.

But the story is not as simple as shining a light on a catalyst. Sometimes light helps and sometimes it actuall ...