Coupling dynamic catalyst regeneration with convective transport enables stable and selective glycerol electrooxidation on platinum

Electrochemical glycerol oxidation on platinum is governed by surface poisoning, competing faradaic and non-faradaic pathways, and mass-transport effects, complicating mechanistic understanding and catalyst optimization.Here, we combine controlled hydrodynamics with dynamic potential modulation to enhance glycerol electrooxidation without complex catalyst design.Using a rotating polycrystalline platinum cylinder electrode in alkaline electrolyte, we develop a three-step pulsed potential protocol comprising glycerol oxidation, oxidative removal of poisoning intermediates, and surface regeneration via oxide reduction.The optimized protocol sustains high activity and stability, delivering current densities up to 12-14 mA cm -2 and increasing glycerate faradaic efficiency to ~40%.Forced convection couples with pulsed operation: mild rotation maximises activity, while higher rotation rates enhance glyceraldehyde removal and its non-faradaic conversion to lactate, increasing lactate faradaic efficiency from 2% to 20%.These findings demonstrate that synergistic control of catalyst regeneration and hydrodynamics provides a powerful strategy to tune activity and selectivity in glycerol electrooxidation.