Reactor design for solar-driven photothermal catalytic CO2 reduction into fuels

•A reactor design method for solar-driven photothermal conversion of CO2 into fuels is proposed.•The whole chain from solar capturing, carrier transport, heat and mass transfer, and reaction kinetics is elucidated.•The effects of different factors on the photothermal catalytic reduction process of carbon dioxide are studied.•The energy flows and losses during the reduction process are quantitatively analyzed.