A Review of In-Situ Techniques for Probing Active Sites and Mechanisms of Electrocatalytic Oxygen Reduction Reactions.

Abstract in brief

• This review discusses the importance of in-situ techniques for understanding the complex behavior of catalysts during the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), which is key in fuel cells and batteries, and highlights how these advanced methods help identify active sites and reaction mechanisms in real time.
• It emphasizes how in-situ methods can directly observe changes in catalyst structure, intermediate reactions, and product formation, including phase, electronic, and spin state variations, providing deeper insights into the dynamic catalytic processes.
• The review also covers challenges like interference factors and signal interpretation, as well as future prospects for improving in-situ techniques to better understand and develop more efficient ORR catalysts.]