Pyrazine-directed electronic tuning of Pd–Cu sites for energy-efficient coproduction of glycolic acid and hydrogen

Pyrazine-modulated PdCu electronic structure enables selective EGOR and HER • Bimetallic synergy and N-coordination boost EG adsorption and *OH generation. • The assembled-cell achieves > 97.77% GA selectivity at ultra-low voltage. • The system requires only 2.89 kWh per m 3 for H 2 , coupled with GA upgrading. Electrocatalytic ethylene glycol oxidation (EGOR) represents a promising route for co-producing value-added chemicals and hydrogen, yet achieving high selectivity and efficiency remains challenging. Herein, we report a bifunctional N-PdCu@Ni(OH) 2 nanosheet catalyst that exhibits exceptional performance for both EGOR and the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The material features pyrazine-N-coordinated Pd–Cu dual-sites, where Pd serves as the main active center for EG and *OH adsorption, while Cu doping electronically modulates Pd to enhance glycolic acid (GA) selectivity and promote *H adsorption for improved HER kinetics. In a membrane-free flow cell, the catalyst enables current densities of 100 mA cm −2 at only 1.20 V, with GA selectivity exceeding 97.77% and hydrogen Faradaic efficiency near 100%. The system requires only 2.89 kWh per m 3 H 2 produced, demonstrating a viable strategy for electronic modulation in multifunctional electrocatalysis and advancing low-energy hydrogen production coupled with sustainable biomass upgrading. Download: Download high-res image (525KB) Download: Download full-size image