Ag/Pt co-modified FeCoNiOx spinel oxides enhancing interface water dissociation to boost selective ethanol electrooxidation to acetate
Electrochemical valorization of ethanol to acetate offers a low-potential alternative to oxygen evolution, but industrial adoption is constrained by insufficient current density and catalyst durability. This work reports FeCoNiOx spinel oxides co-modified with Pt and Ag (FeCoNiOx-PtAg) that enhance interfacial water dissociation to generate moderate *OH coverage while suppressing *OH over-oxidation to *O. The catalyst achieves a maximum Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 98.1% for acetate at 100 mA cm−2, a peak partial current density of 291.2 mA cm−2, and stability exceeding 100 h. In-situ attenuated total reflection surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS) reveals that Pt and Ag co-modification regulates water dissociation, maintaining *OH at levels optimal for nucleophilic attack on CH3CO* intermediates. Techno-economic analysis confirms that the paired ethanol oxidation and hydrogen evolution system is cost-effective and low-carbon. The results establish a viable pathway for selective ethanol electrooxidation to acetate at industrially relevant current densities.