In Situ Raman Characterizations for Enhanced Understandings on Electrocatalysis
Zhenzhong Liu, Ning Zhang, Yujie Xiong
Abstract
Fundamental understanding of the key species during the electrochemical reaction process is of vital importance to mechanistic investigation and catalyst design and heavily relies on experimental observations. The electrochemical in situ Raman technique is regarded as a powerful tool to address this challenge, as its collected signals can spectroscopically fingerprint the species related to reaction details and track their dynamic evolution. In this Perspective, we provide an overview of the recent developments about in situ Raman characterizations for electrochemical reactions. We exemplify the merits of this spectroscopic technique in monitoring the surface structure reconstruction and reaction intermediate evolution at the electrified interface of electrocatalyst hosts. We also discuss how to interpret the underlying reaction mechanism in accordance with Raman observations. In the end, we present future perspectives to cordially anticipate their more insightful contribution to sustainable research fields including electrocatalysis, spectroelectrochemistry, and beyond.