Oxygen-Bridged Long-Range Dual Sites Boost Ethanol\nElectrooxidation by Facilitating C–C Bond Cleavage

Optimizing\nthe interatomic distance of dual sites to realize C–C\nbond breaking of ethanol is critical for the commercialization of\ndirect ethanol fuel cells. Herein, the concept of holding long-range\ndual sites is proposed to weaken the reaction barrier of C–C\ncleavage during the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR). The obtained\nlong-range Rh–O–Pt dual sites achieve a high current\ndensity of 7.43 mA/cm² toward EOR, which is 13.3 times\nthat of Pt/C, as well as remarkable stability. Electrochemical <i>in situ</i> Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy indicates\nthat long-range Rh–O–Pt dual sites can increase the\nselectivity of C1 products and suppress the generation of a CO intermediate.\nTheoretical calculations further disclose that redistribution of the\nsurface-localized electron around Rh–O–Pt can promote\ndirect oxidation of −OH, accelerating C–C bond cleavage.\nThis work provides a promising strategy for designing oxygen-bridged\nlong-range dual sites to tune the activity and selectivity of complicated\ncatalytic reactions.