Electrochemical incorporation reactions are ubiquitous in energy storage and conversion devices based on mixed ionic and electronic conductors, such as lithium-ion batteries, solidoxide fuel cells and water-splitting membranes. The two-way traffic of ions and electrons across the electrochemical interface, coupled with the bulk transport of mass and charge, has been challenging to understand. Here we report an investigation of the oxygen-ion incorporation pathway in CeO 2-d (ceria), one of the most recognized oxygen-deficient compounds, during hydrogen oxidation and water splitting. We probe the response of surface oxygen vacancies, electrons and adsorbates to the electrochemical polarization at the ceria-gas interface. We show that surface oxygen-ion transfer, mediated by oxygen vacancies, is fast. Furthermore, we infer that the electron transfer between cerium cations and hydroxyl ions is the rate-determining step. Our in operando observations reveal the precise roles of surface oxygen vacancy and electron defects in determining the rate of surface incorporation reactions.

The efficient electro-reduction of CO2 to chemical fuels and the electro-oxidation of hydrocarbons for generating electricity are critical toward a carbon-neutral energy cycle. The simplest reactions involving carbon species in solid-oxide fuel cells and electrolyzer cells are CO oxidation and CO2 reduction, respectively. In catalyzing these reactions, doped ceria exhibits a mixed valence of Ce(3+) and Ce(4+), and has been employed as a highly active and coking-resistant electrode. Here we report an operando investigation of the surface reaction mechanism on a ceria-based electrochemical cell using ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. We show that the reaction proceeds via a stable carbonate intermediate, the coverage of which is coupled to the surface Ce(3+) concentration. Under CO oxidation polarization, both the carbonate and surface Ce(3+) concentration decrease with overpotential. Under CO2 reduction polarization, on the other hand, the carbonate coverage saturates whereas the surface Ce(3+) concentration increases with overpotential. The evolution of these reaction intermediates was analyzed using a simplified two-electron reaction scheme. We propose that the strong adsorbate-adsorbate interaction explains the coverage-dependent reaction mechanism. These new insights into the surface electrochemistry of ceria shed light on the optimization strategies for better fuel cell electrocatalysts.