Alkali Metal Cations Induce Pseudo-outer-sphere Oxygen Reduction Reaction Mechanism in Electrolyte-Catalyst Synergy

complexes, effectively bypassing the catalyst surface and avoiding over-reduction. This results in significantly enhanced selectivity and production efficiency. Our results demonstrate that AMCs activate interfacial coupling to unlock alternative reaction pathways, while concurrently elucidating the critical yet often overlooked role of solute molecules in governing electrocatalytic behavior. This work establishes a framework for the understanding of electrolyte-catalyst coupling and provides principles for designing next-generation electrochemical systems.