Yiqun Zheng, Xiaoyi Guo, Jiahao Zheng, Li Wang, Yanyun Ma, Yongzheng Zhang, Yuanyuan Min
Efficient and selective ethanol electrooxidation to acetate is hindered by competing poisoning and overoxidation pathways. We address this through ultrathin PtCuIr–IrO x nanodendrites that integrate strain engineering with ternary functionality. The alloy core imposes compressive strain, downshifting the Pt d-band center to optimize adsorption, while the oxophilic IrO x phase supplies oxygenated sites that accelerate ethanol dehydrogenation and acetaldehyde-to-acetate conversion. In situ SERS confirms the preferential accumulation of acetate, while DFT calculations reveal near-thermoneutral adsorption of acetaldehyde, which can be driven by interfacial electron transfer via the C 2 pathway. The catalyst shows enhanced activity, achieving a current density 3-fold higher than that of Pt/C, along with improved stability, maintaining a current density 4-fold higher than Pt/C after 3000 s of chronoamperometric testing. This work establishes the integration of strain-tuned alloys with oxophilic oxides as an effective strategy for steering reaction pathway preference in complex electrocatalysis.