Proceedings of MATSUS Spring 2024 Conference (MATSUS24)
Publication date: 18th December 2023
Controlling the reaction microenvironment at the catalyst-electrolyte interface with inorganic and organic additions is an established approach to promote reactivity, selectivity, and stability [1],[2],[3]. The rational design of these electrocatalysts requires detailed knowledge of spatial property variations across their interface. Classical electrochemical techniques, such as cyclic voltammetry, represent macroscopic electrochemical properties, and consequently do not permit the extraction of important information about local activity. In situ/operando characterization with nanoscale spatial resolution is paramount for understanding, regulating, and tuning the local electrochemical functionalities. Herein, advanced atomic force microscopies (AFM) have provided novel insights into locally probing electrochemical mechanisms with nanometer resolution. The structure-property relationships of various PTFE/Cu/ionomer heterojunctions are disentangled, and the impact of each functionalization on their catalytic activity is highlighted. In situ/operando tools are shown to provide a viable pathway to fine-tune electrochemical processes by pinpointing the active sites and translating this information to efficient and sustainable catalyst design.