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Spectroscopic studies and theoretical calculations of the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction establish that reaction rates depend on the amount of charge stored in the electrocatalyst, and not on the applied potential.

The oxygen evolution reaction proceeds over a surface that undergoes (frustrated) phase transitions to accommodate bias-dependent excess charge. Now it has been shown that this excess charge is intimately linked to the interfacial solvation of ions and the pre-organization of the transition state, providing insight into intrinsic catalyst activities.

Understanding of catalyst structure and reactivity is important for the development of water splitting catalysts. Here, the authors report reversible structural transformation of the near-surface of crystalline Co₃O₄ electrocatalysts to an amorphous CoO_x(OH)_yduring oxygen evolution.

Cobalt-based oxidic anodes with added iron are good electrocatalysts for alkaline oxygen evolution reaction, but the role of iron is still unclear. Here the authors investigate oxygen evolution reaction activity of three well-defined epitaxial thin-film electrodes to address this issue.

The relationship between product selectivity and catalyst structure under dynamic reaction conditions has proved difficult to interpret in electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction. Here, the authors combine operando X-ray techniques with high time resolution to investigate control over product selectivity using potential pulses.

Copper-nitrogen co-doped carbon catalysts reversibly transform into metal clusters, when employed for the electrocatalytic CO2 reduction. Here, by applying potential pulses, the authors show the size of the formed metal clusters can be finely tuned, allowing on-the-fly steering of the distribution of reaction products.

Electrochemical reduction of CO₂ can yield many different products; a better understanding of the key mechanisms at play is needed to guide the design of selective catalysts. Here the authors use in situ surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and simulations to elucidate reaction schemes for CO₂ reduction to ethylene and ethanol.

Controlling the selectivity of the electroreduction of CO₂ to value-added products is challenging. Here, authors use sub-second operando Raman spectroscopy to analyze Cu catalyst surfaces and discover the pivotal role of co-adsorbed OH and CO in enhancing ethanol selectivity.

Copper is an important catalyst for CO₂ electroreduction as it enables the formation of multi-carbon products. Now, using various in situ techniques, the authors show that low-coordinated Cu surface species form spontaneously near the onset of CO₂ electrocatalytic reduction.

The near-surface structure of oxide electrocatalysts during the oxygen evolution reaction is key to performance but remains elusive. Here the authors use operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy to track the size-dependent catalytic activity of CoO_x(OH)_y nanoparticles down to 1 nm and their structural changes under reaction conditions.

The nature of the active species over Cu/ZnO catalysts for methanol synthesis remains elusive. Here, the authors shed light on the evolution of the nanoparticle/support interface and correlate its structural and chemical transformations with changes in the catalytic performance.

NiFe and CoFe layered double hydroxides are among the most active electrocatalysts for the alkaline oxygen evolution reaction. Here, by combining operando experiments and rigorous DFT calculations, the authors unravel their active phase, the reaction center and the catalytic mechanism.

Knowledge of the active sites in catalysts—including the sites that form under working conditions—is vital for future design and development. Here, the authors track the atomic-scale changes in a series of well-defined cobalt-based oxide electrocatalysts, showing that the structurally distinct catalysts develop a similar structural motif as they transform into the catalytically active state.

Inhibition of YBX1, a downstream target of the Janus kinase JAK2, sensitizes myeloproliferative neoplasm cells to JAK and could provide a means to eradicate such cells in human haematopoietic cancers.

The electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) balances the hydrogen evolution reaction when splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen. This review highlights the need for new theory, electrochemistry and operando spectroscopy to enable knowledge-driven synthesis of new OER electrocatalysts.