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A Critical Review on Hydrogen Evolution Electrocatalysis: Re‐exploring the Volcano‐relationship
Author(s) -
Zeradjanin Aleksandar R.,
Grote JanPhilipp,
Polymeros George,
Mayrhofer Karl J. J.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
electroanalysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.574
H-Index - 128
eISSN - 1521-4109
pISSN - 1040-0397
DOI - 10.1002/elan.201600270
Subject(s) - electrocatalyst , perspective (graphical) , phenomenology (philosophy) , catalysis , work (physics) , chemistry , electrochemistry , computer science , epistemology , thermodynamics , physics , electrode , philosophy , biochemistry , artificial intelligence
The “volcano”‐relationship for the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction seems to be a generally accepted phenomenology in electrochemistry. Based on the Sabatier principle, which suggests a not too strong, nor too weak binding of reaction intermediates as prerequisite for high reaction rates, it provides a straightforward and intuitive explanation for a plethora of experimental results. However, while the Sabatier principle as a main paradigm of heterogeneous catalysis was never really disputed in the case of gas‐phase reactions, it remains questionable if it can be the main driving principle that governs activity trends of electrocatalytic reactions. This work provides an overview on this topic for the model hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), pointing out certain inconsistencies and contradictions found in literature. The critical assessment provides a viewpoint which could have important practical consequences and could provide different perspective on future catalyst design.