Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: ), electrolytes serve multiple roles as reaction media, proton donors, and mass-transport carriers, with their composition and physicochemical properties exerting a significant influence on reaction pathways, intermediate stability, and product selectivity. Most research endeavors have predominantly concentrated on catalyst design, often oversimplifying electrolytes as inert backgrounds. This minireview proposes a classification framework for electrolyte effects into short-, medium-, and long-range interactions, highlighting their active regulatory roles at electrified interfaces. A comprehensive overview is provided of recent advancements in methodologies for investigating solvent effects, accompanied by an in-depth analysis of representative electrocatalytic systems. This analysis elucidates how the composition of electrolytes influences molecular-level elementary reaction steps, the dynamic reorganization and equilibrium of the interfacial microenvironment, as well as macroscopic catalytic performance, through a variety of distinct mechanisms. Finally, the key challenges and opportunities are also discussed, emphasizing electrolyte engineering as a strategic tool to reshape reaction environments and accelerate the practical deployment of electrocatalytic technologies.
Authors: Limin Wu, Ruhan Wang, Yongbin Li, Lei He, Xiaofu Sun, Buxing Han
Language: English
Field: Energy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Awards: G343345980, G3823565033, G5074153875
OpenAlex ID: W7127971965