Bubbles pinned on electrodes: Friends or foes of aqueous electrochemistry?
Electrochemists and engineers regard adherent gas bubbles as redox-inactive and therefore blocking entities. Adhesion of bubbles at electrodes generally carries an energy penalty. But this is not always the case: bubbles pinned on an electrode surface initiate the oxidation of water-soluble species...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
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ELSEVIER
2022
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| Online Access: | http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FT190100148 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/93938 |
| Summary: | Electrochemists and engineers regard adherent gas bubbles as redox-inactive and therefore blocking entities. Adhesion of bubbles at electrodes generally carries an energy penalty. But this is not always the case: bubbles pinned on an electrode surface initiate the oxidation of water-soluble species under conditions where such reactions would normally be considered impossible. Here we critically review the recent literature that is beginning to unveil the novel concept of on-water electrochemistry. Harnessing electrochemical reactivity of the water–gas–electrode interface has the potential to become a game-changer in organic electrosynthesis, accelerating the transition toward a sustainable chemical industry by simplifying the direct integration of renewable electricity into the production of commodity chemicals. |
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