Demystifying the Atomistic Origin of the Electric Field Effect on Methane Oxidation

Understanding the role of an electric field on the surface of a catalyst is crucial in tuning and promoting the catalytic activity of metals. Herein, we evaluate the oxidation of methane over a Pt surface with varying oxygen coverage using density functional theory. The latter is controlled by the electrode polarization, giving rise to the non-Faradaic modification of catalytic activity phenomenon. At -1 V, the Pt(111) surface is present, while at 1 V, alpha-PtO2 on Pt(111) takes over. Our results demonstrate that the alteration of the platinum oxide surface under the influence of an electrochemical potential promotes the catalytic activity of the metal oxides by lowering the activation energy barrier of the reaction.