Understanding hydrogen oxidation/evolution electrochemical interfaces through in situ Raman scattering and infrared absorption spectroscopies

Understanding hydrogen oxidation/evolution electrochemical interfaces is of great importance to both fundamental electrochemistry and realization of the hydrogen economy. The grand challenges lie in utilizing suitable characterization tools that can glean molecular-level information on related interfacial phenomena. Among various techniques, in situ vibrational spectroscopies (infrared and Raman) have gained significant research interest due to their unique capability in probing the vibrational behavior of key interfacial species. This chapter briefly overviews their applications in deepening our understandings of hydrogen oxidation/evolution reactions. Identification of key intermediates and surface species, contributions of electrolytes, and impacts of electrode structure/composition on activities are discussed.