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The team observed copper atoms leaving the solid, crystalline metal phase and mingling with carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms from the electrolyte and CO2 to form a fluctuating, amorphous state between the surface and the electrolyte, which they dubbed an "amorphous interphase" because it is neither solid nor liquid.

This amorphous interphase disappears again when the current stops flowing, and most of the copper atoms return to the solid lattice.

According to Zhang, the dynamics of the amorphous interphase could be leveraged in the future to make the catalyst more selective for specific carbon products.

Additionally, understanding the interphase will help scientists combat degradation -- which occurs on the surface of all catalysts over time -- to develop systems with longer operational lifetimes.

"Previously, people relied on the initial surface structure to design the catalyst for both efficiency and stability. The discovery of the amorphous interphase challenges our previous understanding of solid-liquid interfaces, prompting a need to consider its effects when devising strategies," said Zhang.