Electric fields affect reactions on catalyst particles

Abstract

Electric fields arise spontaneously at the surface of solid catalysts immersed in liquids, and this common yet largely overlooked phenomenon directly affects the rates of a large class of reactions. Using a meticulous set of techniques, chemists have been able to measure this elusive effect for the first time ( ACS Cent. Sci. 2021, DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.1c00293 ). Researchers have known for years that charged moieties in enzymes can cause electric fields to arise at their active sites and that the fields drive biochemical reactions. A similar process should occur at the surface of catalytic particles in solution because of the charges carried by electrons and ions that come and go during reactions. But because there’s no simple way to wirelessly monitor electrical events occurring at particles submerged in solvents, the phenomenon has remained out of sight and out of mind. To measure these tough-to-see electric fields and study their influence