Selective Knockout of Gold Active Sites

摘要

Electrochemists commonly seek two diametrically opposed goals: 1)the activation of electrode surfaces, in order to overcome kinetic barriers and accelerate reactions, and 2) the deactivation of electrode surfaces, in order to prevent unwanted reactions such as corrosion. It has long been known that the activity of electrodes (and of heterogeneous catalysts) is associated with surface defects; Pt black is a familiar example. In contrast, deactivation is typically achieved by "brute-force" methods such as total passiva-tion.