Nickel Mesh Modified with Electrodeposited Graphene Oxide for Electrooxidation of Ethanol and Bioethanol in Alkaline Media‐ Toward Stable and Noble Metal‐Free Electrodes for Direct Ethanol Fuel Cells (DEFCs)

Abstract This study reports the application of electrodeposited graphene oxide (GO)‐modified nickel mesh electrodes (GO@Ni‐m) as efficient electrodes for direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC). GO@Ni‐m50 (50 cyclic voltammetry cycles) exhibited the best electrocatalytic activity, achieving a (current density ∼15.37 mA cm −2 and onset potential 0.45 V versus Hg/HgO) at 1 M ethanol in 0.1 M KOH, due to improved surface area, conductivity, excellent stability, and low charge transfer resistance (R ct ≈ 4.5 Ω·cm 2 ). The density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal a direct mechanism of ethanol electrooxidation to acetaldehyde, at an adsorption energy of −0.77 eV on GO@Ni‐m50, due to the synergism of GO and Ni‐m. Further surface modification with iron‐nickel (FeNi) and platinum‐carbon (Pt/C) nanoparticles revealed contrasting effects with reduced current densities due to hindered electron mobility through GO layers. Next, the electrooxidation of bioethanol (derived from potato peel fermentation) resulted in a current density of >10 mA cm −2 , confirming its practical applicability in bioethanol driven alkaline fuel cells. The GO@Ni‐m50 platform demonstrates high efficiency for ethanol and bioethanol oxidation and holds promise for other biomass‐derived alcohol fuels. The future studies on enhancing long‐term durability of the electrodes can enrich their applicability in sustainable electrochemical energy conversion systems.