Advancing Electrocatalyst Design Principles via Liquid-Phase Transmission Electron Microscopy

Next-generation energy technologies based on electrocatalysis are critical for the ongoing transition to chemical and energy infrastructures that leverage renewable wind and solar energy. Contemporary research has revealed that electrocatalysts are highly dynamic under operation, motivating efforts to understand the nanoscale and atomic-scale structural dynamics that control macroscopic performance metrics, such as activity and durability. However, conventional in situ characterization techniques are often limited by either low spatial resolution or low temporal resolution. Liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy (LP-TEM) is a technique that can elucidate the structural dynamics of electrocatalysts by directly visualizing atomic-scale processes in liquid environments with high spatiotemporal resolution. Additionally, modern microscopy techniques enable multimodal dataset collection, allowing structure and chemical composition maps to be collected simultaneously with high spatiotemporal resolution. In this Perspective, we outline how LP-TEM can advance our understanding of electrocatalyst dynamics in relevant environments and help elucidate design rules for next-generation materials that will advance electrochemical technologies.