The practice of reaction window in an electrocatalytic on-chip microcell
Hang Xia, Xiaoru Sang, Zhiwen Shu, Zude Shi, Tian Tian, Shasha Guo, Xiuyun An, Caitian Gao, Fucai Liu, Huigao Duan, Zheng Liu, Yongmin He
Abstract
To enhance the efficiency of catalysis, it is crucial to comprehend the behavior of individual nanowires/nanosheets. A developed on-chip microcell facilitates this study by creating a reaction window that exposes the catalyst region of interest. However, this technology's potential application is limited due to frequently-observed variations in data between different cells. In this study, we identify a conductance problem in the reaction windows of non-metallic catalysts as the cause of this issue. We investigate this problem using in-situ electronic/electrochemical measurements and atom-thin nanosheets as model catalysts. Our findings show that a full-open window, which exposes the entire catalyst channel, allows for efficient modulation of conductance, which is ten times higher than a half-open window. This often-overlooked factor has the potential to significantly improve the conductivity of non-metallic catalysts during the reaction process. After examining tens of cells, we develop a vertical microcell strategy to eliminate the conductance issue and enhance measurement reproducibility. Our study offers guidelines for conducting reliable microcell measurements on non-metallic single nanowire/nanosheet catalysts.