Making Morphology Meaningful: Tracking Dynamic Catalyst Evolution under Working Conditions.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Catalysis
• Surface Chemistry

Background:

• Catalyst design traditionally assumes static structure-activity relationships.
• Morphology control is a common strategy, focusing on as-synthesized catalyst states.
• Geometric and electronic structures are often considered inseparable in determining catalytic behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

• To challenge the static structure-activity paradigm in catalysis.
• To highlight the dynamic evolution of catalyst structures under reaction conditions.
• To propose a revised framework integrating dynamic morphology with in situ characterization.

Main Methods:

• Review of evidence from photocatalytic, thermocatalytic, and electrocatalytic systems.
• Analysis of catalyst transformations under illumination, thermal input, and applied potential.
• Emphasis on in situ characterization techniques to track real-time changes.

Main Results:

• Catalysts undergo significant structural and electronic transformations during reactions.
• As-synthesized descriptors may not represent the active catalytic configurations.
• Dynamic structural and electronic changes are observed across various catalytic systems.

Conclusions:

• Catalyst morphology is a dynamic, evolving platform, not a fixed geometric label.
• A revised framework is needed that considers dynamic morphology and real-time characterization.
• Understanding in situ transformations is crucial for optimizing catalyst design and function.