<p>Metal oxides have attracted increasing attention as photothermal conversion materials owing to their flexible electronic tunability and robust thermal endurance. Recently, diverse strategies have been developed to improve their photothermal conversion efficiency (η), including defect manipulation, phase transition regulation, and plasmon-induced enhancement. The review summarizes the recent advances of these approaches and their synergistic integration, and discusses the underlying physical mechanisms governing carrier dynamics and thermal dissipation. Finally, the review proposes key challenges and future research priorities in the development of metal oxide-based photothermal materials.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>