Recent advances in microenvironment regulation for electrocatalysis

ABSTRACT High-efficiency electrocatalysis could serve as the bridge that connects renewable energy technologies, hydrogen economy and carbon capture/utilization, promising a sustainable future for humankind. It is therefore of paramount significance to explore feasible strategies to modulate the relevant electrocatalytic reactions and optimize device performances so as to promote their large-scale practical applications. Microenvironment regulation at the catalytic interface has been demonstrated to be capable of effectively enhancing the reaction rates and improving the selectivities for specific products. In this review we summarize the latest advances in microenvironment regulation in typical electrocatalytic processes (including water electrolysis, hydrogen–oxygen fuel cells, and carbon dioxide reduction) and the related in situ/operando characterization techniques and theoretical simulation methods. At the end of this article, we present an outlook on development trends and possible future directions.