Overview of Topics in Electrocatalysis for Sustainability: Reactions, Electrocatalysts, Degradation, and Mitigation

Electrocatalysis provides an avenue for transitioning the global energy dependence from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. While electrocatalytic reactions have been used for several decades, recently, there is a growing interest in electrocatalytic reactions that are useful from a sustainability perspective. The wide industrial applications of these sustainable electrocatalytic processes are largely limited by the degradation of the electrocatalysts. This review begins with an introduction to such reactions, followed by a detailed discussion of the electrocatalysts. Further, we describe the processes that are responsible for the degradation of electrocatalytic activity. Then, the strategies for reducing the degradation of electrocatalysts are discussed. This review also touches on the broader techno-economic and life-cycle considerations in catalyst development, linking fundamental research with practical sustainability.