Tailoring the structure of the electrochemical interface at the atomic level is key to design new electrocatalysts for renewable energy conversion and storage. This talk will focus on novel catalyst materials and engineered interfaces for electrochemical energy conversion. In particular, I will discuss structure sensitivity and electrolyte effects for oxygen and carbon dioxide/carbon monoxide electrocatalysis.

First, I will present our work toward understanding the structure-activity-stability relations on high surface area nanostructured Ir-based materials for oxygen evolution. Then, I will highlight the importance of carrying out model studies on Cu-based surfaces to understand the structure-properties relations for CO₂ and CO reduction. We have investigated the effect of pH, specific anion adsorption and potential dependence for CO reduction on Cu single-crystalline electrodes. We show how well defined studies are essential to design efficient electrocatalysts for the production of renewable fuels.