Hollow Au1Cu1(111) Bimetallic Catalyst Promotes the Selective Electrochemical Conversion of Glycerol into Glycolic Acid

Electrochemical catalysis of polyols enables precise control over the cleavage of C–C and C–O bonds, facilitating high selectivity toward high-value glycolic acid. Here, we report that a hollow spheroidal bimetallic Au1Cu1 catalyst demonstrates high activity and selectivity toward glycerol, 1,2-propanediol, and ethylene glycol electrooxidation. Under the optimized conditions, glycerol conversion and glycolic acid selectivity reached 90 and 45%, respectively. The Au1Cu1 catalyst exhibits good stability after multiple cycles of electrolysis. Structural characterization and density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirmed that the hollow structure of the catalyst enhances the electrochemical surface area, with the Au1Cu1(111) facet facilitating the selective electrocatalytic conversion of glycerol to glycolic acid.