Elemental boron is an effective photothermocatalyst for the conversion of carbon dioxide
(PHYSorg.com Chemistry)

A `self-heating` boron catalyst that makes particularly efficient use of sunlight to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) serves as a light harvester, photothermal converter, hydrogen generator, and catalyst in one. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, researchers introduce a photothermocatalytic reaction that requires no additives beyond water. This could form the basis of a new, more efficient process for converting the greenhouse gas CO2 into a useful carbon source for the production of fuels and chemical products.