A photocatalytic effect of ZnO on carbon gasification with CO2 was studied using a concentrated Xe beam to enhance the gasification rate in solar/chemical energy conversion process. The sample, activated carbon impregnated with ZnO (5 wt%), was heated at 873 K by a Xe beam irradiation with UV (< 400 nm). The gasification rate at 873 K increased 2 folds in comparison with the Xe irradiation without UV, but, the difference of the rate of CO evolution decreased with the increasing temperature from 873 to 1073 K. The carbothermal reduction of ZnO (ZnO + C --> Zn + CO) proceeded at above 950 K, which was demonstrated by XRD analysis and thermodynamic calculation. These results indicate that the photocatalytic effect of ZnO with the UV irradiation enhance the gasification rate of carbon at low temperature (873 K). (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.