Enhancing C–C bond cleavage in ethylene glycol electrooxidation via d–p orbital hybridization at PtBi nanodendrites with ultrathin bimetallene subunits

The large-scale implementation of direct ethylene glycol fuel cells (DEGFCs) relies on the design of catalysts that possess exceptional activity, durability, and efficient C–C bond breaking ability. However, Pt and Pd-based nanomaterials continue to face challenges of low selectivity and slow reaction kinetics in driving the complete oxidation of ethylene glycol to CO 2 . In this work, a facile one-pot reduction method is reported for controllable synthesis of PtBi nanodendrites (PtBi-NDs) composed of ultrathin bimetallene subunits. In alkaline media, the composition optimized PtBi-NDs demonstrate outstanding activity and strong resistance to CO poisoning during the ethylene glycol oxidation reaction (EGOR). The PtBi-NDs show 5.8-fold higher mass activity, enhanced stability, and superior C1 selectivity relative to commercial Pt nanoparticles (Pt c-NCs). Most strikingly, PtBi-NDs deliver a higher power density (8.3 mW cm –2 ) than Pt c-NCs in DEGFCs. The theoretical analysis and experimental measurements explain that the introduction of Bi element into Pt induces d–p orbital hybridization and promotes electron transfer from Bi to Pt, thereby facilitating C–C bond cleavage and boosting EGOR kinetics. This work establishes an effective strategy for constructing Pt-based ultrathin bimetallenes and offers fundamental insights into boosting EGOR performance via d-p orbital hybridization.