Electrosynthesis
via electrochemical plasma, a discharge over the
surface of liquid water (or plasma cathode), may offer an unprecedented
route of synthesis for chemicals and (wind) solar fuels. Describing
the physical chemical events underneath plasma/liquid interface (PLI)
on a theoretical basis is crucial for enabling a rational designing
of chemical synthesis. To address this problem, this work proposes
a generalist dynamical model for the nanoreactor, a fraction of nanoliters
localized beneath the PLI that features substantially high concentration
of hydrated electrons (e
aq
–), and it screens
chemical reaction networks (CRN) related to the synthesis of hydrogen,
a model electrosynthesis process. The computational results elucidate
two major routes for hydrogen production: (a) in very alkaline media,
the water reduction via self-recombination of e
aq
– [2e
aq
– + 2H2O → H2 + 2OH–] consumes the majority
of e
aq
–, whereas (b) in very acid media, e
aq
– is majorly scavenger by the ion H
aq
+, generating an abnormally high concentration of the radical
H•, a precursor for gaseous hydrogen. Additionally,
two scenarios are disadvantageous for synthesizing H2.
Side reactions with aqueous oxygen and aqueous radical •OH leads to substantial production of O2
– and OH–,
respectively. Without loss of generality, the dynamical model proposed
in this work is a powerful theoretical frame for understanding and
predicting a variety of plasma-induced CRNs, assisting to advance
the emerging field of plasma electrochemistry.