Electrolyte-Regulated Conversion of Small Resource Molecules.

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis
• Renewable Energy

Background:

• Electrocatalysis is crucial for clean energy and carbon neutrality.
• Electrolytes play active roles in resource molecule conversion (e.g., CO2, NO3-).
• Current research often overlooks electrolyte influence, focusing primarily on catalyst design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a framework classifying electrolyte effects (short-, medium-, long-range interactions).
• To review methodologies for investigating solvent effects in electrocatalysis.
• To analyze how electrolyte composition impacts electrocatalytic systems.

Main Methods:

• Classification of electrolyte interactions at electrified interfaces.
• Review of advanced methodologies for studying solvent effects.
• In-depth analysis of representative electrocatalytic systems.

Main Results:

• Electrolytes actively regulate reaction pathways, intermediate stability, and product selectivity.
• Electrolyte composition influences molecular-level reaction steps and interfacial microenvironment dynamics.
• Distinct mechanisms illustrate electrolyte impact on macroscopic catalytic performance.

Conclusions:

• Electrolyte engineering is a strategic tool for optimizing electrocatalytic processes.
• Understanding electrolyte effects is crucial for accelerating the deployment of clean energy technologies.
• Future research should focus on harnessing electrolyte properties to enhance electrocatalytic efficiency and selectivity.