Lewis Acid‐Mediated Interface Engineering for Enhanced Electrocatalytic Energy Conversion
Hainan Sun, Jiaqiao Yang, Mujia Sun, Zhiwei Wei, Xiaomin Xu, Yuan Zhang, Jiyan Dai, Junxiong Zhang, Zongping Shao
Abstract
Abstract Driven by the global pursuit of carbon neutrality and accelerated by rapid advancements in clean energy technologies, electrocatalytic reactions, such as water splitting, CO 2 reduction, nitrogen fixation, and pollutant degradation, have emerged as key processes in sustainable energy and environmental challenges. However, the intrinsic complexity of these multi‐step reactions presents significant challenges in catalyst design, particularly in achieving high activity, selectivity, and durability. Recent progress underscores the promise of incorporating Lewis acid functionalities into electrocatalytic systems as a versatile strategy to modulate interfacial microenvironments and fine‐tune the electronic structures of active sites. Lewis acids play multiple roles, including the regulation of local reaction conditions, suppression of undesired adsorption, and stabilization of key intermediates. Furthermore, synergistic configurations such as Lewis acid–base pairs and frustrated Lewis pairs open new avenues for cooperative catalysis. This review offers a comprehensive overview of the classifications, mechanistic roles, and recent advances in Lewis acid engineering for electrocatalysis, highlighting its potential for addressing critical energy and environmental challenges.