Intersection Between Thermal, Photo, and Electrocatalysis

Thermal, photo and electrocatalysis have traditionally been regarded as separate disciplines. Mounting evidence suggests that this distinction might be overly simplistic and often misleading. Thermal catalysis for instance has been shown to be enhanced by electric fields and mechanistic similarities seem to exist for certain classes of thermal and electrocatalytic reactions. This session will stimulate discussions at the crossroad of thermal, photo and electrocatalysis and lead to further interactions enhancing the field of catalysis as a whole. Topics include but are not limited to: 1) Application of electric fields to modify non-Faradaic catalysis, 2) Spontaneous formation of electric fields during thermal catalysis, 3) Mechanistic comparison of thermal, photo and electrocatalysis, and 4) Comparison of design principles for thermal, photo and electrocatalysts.