Efficient promotion of ethanol complete electrooxidation by anti-poisoning rhodium-bismuth alloy nanodendrites.

Alkaline direct ethanol fuel cells are promising future energy technologies with a high energy-density, while the lack of robust anodic electrocatalysts limits their energy conversion efficiency due to serious poisoning and weak selectivity to the C1 pathway of ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR). Herein, rhodium-bismuth alloy nanodendrites (RhBi-NDs) are applied as an efficient and anti-poisoning electrocatalyst for EOR, which exhibit superior electrocatalytic performance, including a mass activity of 1068.9 mA mg Rh −1 at 0.71 V, a 31.1% Faradaic efficiency for the C1 product, and an excellent stability of 40 h. The mechanism study indicates that Bi improves the oxidation ability of Rh to toxic intermediates by providing oxygen-containing species. The theoretical calculations disclose the electronic interaction between Bi and Rh, which tunes the adsorption energy of intermediates such as CH 3 CH 2 OH*, and CH 3 CO*, resulting in the suppression of C2 pathway and the promotion of C1 pathway for EOR on RhBi-NDs. [Display omitted] • RhBi-NDs are reported as a robust and anti-poisoning non-Pt/Pd-based EOR catalyst. • RhBi-NDs have a mass activity of 1068.9 mA mg Rh −1 at 0.71 V for EOR. • A 31.1% F C1 and a stability of 40 h for EOR are achieved on RhBi-NDs. • DFT calculations reveal the tuned adsorption behavior and EOR pathway on RhBi-NDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]