Statistical Treatment of Activity and Durability of Electrocatalysts with Distributed Binding Energies

Abstract

We present a statistical treatment of the catalytic activity and durability of nonhomogeneous electrocatalysts that possess distributed binding energies of reaction intermediates. The treatment is simple, generic, and amenable to analytical solutions. It is revealed that the highest overall catalytic activity is obtained with a suitable level of nonhomogeneity that is commensurate with the average property. The evolution of the binding energy distribution is described by the Fokker-Planck theory. Exponential decay of the catalytic activity is predicted theoretically and confirmed experimentally. The exponential decay shows one- or two stages, depending on the initial distribution properties. The present work represents a step toward closing the gap between ideal and practical electrocatalysts using statistical considerations.