Proceedings of MATSUS Spring 2024 Conference (MATSUS24)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.29363/nanoge.matsus.2024.179
Publication date: 18th December 2023
There has been a growing recognition that not only electrocatalysts but electrolytes influence the activity of surface electrocatalytic reactions. Therefore, understanding the electrolyte-electrode interface under realistic operating conditions is critical to designing active and stable electrochemical devices. The past few decades of research have focused on developing a range of spectroscopic and imagining tools to enable the study of the chemical and structural changes at the electrolyte-electrode interface. Here, we introduce operando surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS), a promising lab-based tool for gaining a molecular-level understanding of interfacial electrochemical processes.
This talk will bring the most recent understanding of the electrochemical interface during the operation of energy storage (ex., lithium-ion battery) and electrolysis (ex., electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction) applications using operando SEIRAS. We will highlight how the holistic information about the nature of the electrolyte-electrode interface can provide additional knobs to tune the reactions, leading to further improvements in activity and stability for energy applications. Also, fundamentals and experimental tips for operando SEIRAS will be explained, which is essential for those interested in introducing operando SEIRAS to probe your electrochemical system.