Publication date: 28th August 2024
While the performance of an electrocatalyst depends on its structure and composition, there is also a drastic and so far not well-understood influence of the electrolyte composition on the catalyst activity as well as the double layer properties [1-7]. In other words, today’s electrocatalysis operates typically with a paradigm that there are only two major ways of increasing the catalytic reaction rate at a given electrode surface. The first involves modifying the electrode surface structure to maximize the number of active sites. The second one deals with the optimization of the electrode composition. Both approaches often exclude an essential part of the “activity equation”: the electrolytes. Interestingly, when the structure and composition of the electrode surface are fixed, the influence of the “inert” electrolyte species is often drastic. Therefore, the resulting electrocatalyst performance combines at least three major factors: electrode surface structure, electrode composition, and electrolyte composition. The lecture will present and discuss several concepts explaining the “electrolyte
effect” in electrocatalysis.