Modulating the coordination environment of electrochemical catalysis for enhanced catalytic performance

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Electrochemical catalysis is vital for sustainable energy and chemical synthesis.
• Developing efficient catalysts requires understanding their fundamental mechanisms.
• The coordination environment of active sites significantly influences catalyst performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review regulatory mechanisms of coordination environments in key electrocatalytic reactions.
• To elucidate the impact of coordination properties on catalyst electronic structure and reaction pathways.
• To provide guidance for designing advanced electrocatalysts.

Main Methods:

• Classification and summarization of coordination environment regulation strategies.
• Analysis of reaction mechanisms, focusing on rate-determining steps.
• Review of recent advances in catalyst activity, selectivity, and stability.

Main Results:

• Coordination environment dictates electronic structure, intermediate adsorption, and reaction pathways.
• Strategies for tuning coordination environments enhance multi-electron transfer and reduce energy barriers.
• Specific coordination-based methods improve performance in oxygen reduction, oxygen evolution, hydrogen evolution, CO2 reduction, and nitrogen reduction reactions.

Conclusions:

• The coordination environment is a critical factor in electrocatalyst design and performance.
• Tailoring coordination offers a powerful approach to developing next-generation catalysts.
• Further research into coordination-based strategies will drive innovation in clean energy technologies.