Valorization
of biomass-derived carboxylic acids into drop-in fuels
with the input of renewably sourced electricity is promising for a
clean and sustainable energy future. Herein, self-supporting core–shell
Pt@Ir nanothorns on 3D porous carbon fiber paper anodes have been
employed for the electrocatalytic upgrading of carboxylic acids into
fuel-range hydrocarbons. The core–shell anode is synthesized
by electrodepositing Pt nanothorns on carbon fiber paper followed
by galvanic deposition of a thin layer of Ir nanothorns on the surface.
Pt@Ir exhibited a remarkably higher yield (49.5%) and Faraday efficiency
(62.3%) for hydrocarbon production as compared to that of benchmark
commercial Pt/C. The anode also has good recyclability with little
activity loss after five successive runs.