Evidence Alignment and Transfer Boundaries in Electrocatalytic Active-Site Design And Photocatalysis And Solar Fuels

Abstract

A central challenge in electrocatalytic active-site design and photocatalysis and solar fuels is to compare studies whose mechanisms and validation settings do not share a single denominator. The present review uses cooperative atomically dispersed Fe-N4 and Sn-Nx coordination sites for oxygen reduction and a beta-FeOOH photo-Fenton platform that couples hydrogen evolution with pollutant degradation as focal cases for a boundary-aware synthesis. Two target papers are triangulated against 12 locally validated publications. The comparison follows coordination structure, adsorption energetics, selectivity, operando evidence, durability and deliberately separates mechanistic interpretation from performance ranking, because the latter can conceal incompatible experimental or operational conditions. Across the evidence base, the decisive issue is alignment: coordination structure shapes what is observed, adsorption energetics shapes how it is compared, and durability governs whether the conclusion can be transferred. Uncertainty is most informative when reported as part of the result rather than treated as a postscript. On this basis, the review proposes an auditable pathway from focal mechanism to application claim, with explicit checkpoints for calibration, external validity, and responsible interpretation.