Catalyst Stability in Aqueous Electrochemistry

The main challenges in catalysis are high activity, selectivity, cost efficiency, and stability. In industrial processes, stability in particular is of pressing concern, and its importance has become more and more acknowledged in academia. At the same time, the need for alternatives to replace fossil raw materials is omnipresent, and the electrification of synthetic processes is picking up in speed. New processes are being developed and novel materials are being tested, while assessing the stability of emerging catalysts can be time-consuming and frustrating but, at the same time, highly important. This problem is exacerbated by a clear lack of realistic stability measurements of new catalysts and an understanding of the key driving forces for the specific degradation pathway. In this perspective, deactivation processes in aqueous electrochemistry are selectively discussed and mitigation strategies are presented. A special focus is placed on the intrinsic material properties that react to the surrounding environment. The applied conditions not only predefine the product spectrum and activity of the catalytic material but also strongly influence the catalyst’s stability. We review various concepts to increase the stability, for instance, by tailoring the coordination environment around the active center, and highlight the importance of the support material. The presented concepts together with stability descriptors serve as important guidelines toward stable and sustainable catalyst systems.