In-situ reconstruction of electrocatalysts for efficient energy and environmental electrocatalytic reactions

Abstract

Occurring in an electrochemical reaction, the transformation of thermodynamics and kinetics under the influence of reactants, reaction conditions, and electrolytes can cause the catalyst to undergo in-situ reconstruction, producing new active substances, which may promote or inhibit catalytic activity and stability. Up to now, the phenomenon of in-situ reconstruction of catalysts has become very common in the domains of environmental and energy catalysis, and has been extensively studied and widely received attention from researchers. However, how to understand the complex reconstruction mechanism and precisely control the in-situ reconstruction to sustain activity alongside stability under the in-situ reconstruction of electrocatalysts remains a huge challenge. Consequently, in order to further advance the understanding, control, and utilization of electrochemical in-situ reconstruction, it is highly necessary to jointly establish a precise design system ranging from pre-catalysts to electrochemical reaction conditions, and achieve an optimal trade-off between structure and performance. In this review, the factors as well as characterization techniques of electrochemical in-situ reconstruction are first described. Then, the strategies and applications for the modulation of electrochemical in-situ reconstruction for representative energy and environmental catalytic reactions are comprehensively discussed. Ultimately, the future challenges and opportunities of in-situ reconstruction are summarized. It is hoped that this review will provide a key pillar of insights for the development of novel highly active catalysts as well as dynamic catalytic reactions.