Applications of liquid-phase TEM in the fields of electrocatalysis and photocatalysis

Abstract

The evolution of active sites at the solid-liquid interface plays a decisive role in determining the performance and stability of electrocatalysis and photocatalysis. As a powerful in situ characterization technique, Liquid-Phase Transmission Electron Microscopy (LP-TEM) offers unique opportunities to analyze the dynamic reaction processes at solid-liquid interfaces with nano- or even atomic-scale resolution. In this review, we first trace the development history of LP-TEM technology, highlighting its advantages for elucidating liquid-phase catalytic reaction systems. Integrating electrochemical and light illumination modules into LP-TEM vividly demonstrates the dynamic evolution processes of electrocatalysis and photocatalysis. Furthermore, we systematically summarize and discuss its applications in the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER), electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR), electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), and photocatalytic hydrogen production, clarifying their current developmental status. Additionally, we address the limitations and challenges of the current LP-TEM technique, such as spatial resolution and electron beam damage, providing insights for future improvements.