What we talk about when we talk about breaking scaling relations

Abstract

For more than a dozen years, “breaking scaling relations” has been regarded by many as a top priority in computational and experimental electrocatalysis. Numerous works claim to have done it, and literature reviews are available that summarize the strategies to do it. However, in most cases, it seems more like a slogan than a clear, experimentally realizable catalyst design paradigm. It is worth asking whether we know of any materials that unmistakably break scaling relations and, more importantly, if the breaking of a problematic scaling relation is the end of all troubles in electrocatalysis. On the basis of some quantitative examples related to CO2 electroreduction and the concept of “ghost scaling relation,” I will try to address these and other fundamental questions related to scaling relations.