Bulk phase charge transfer in focus – And in sequential along with surface steps

In recent decades, catalysis has witnessed increasing interests in many catalytic reactions with bulk phase and interface charge transfer steps as a distinguished feature. Here, the charge can be cations, anions, electrons or holes. Research into both bulk phase and interface charge transfer has changed our understanding and in-focus design of catalysts and reactors, due to the clear difference in kinetics from those classical catalytic reactions, where only surface steps are concerned. This perspective selects several types of representative reactions and discusses the challenges and opportunities to innovations in catalytic technologies from the viewpoint of recognizing and accelerating the key step of the charge transfer at interface or in the catalyst bulk phase, as well as incorporating the surface steps into the overall kinetics.