Boosting Methanol Electrooxidation on Pt/C with a Metal‐Free Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon Cocatalyst via the Ripple Effect

Platinum‐based catalysts are the core components for methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Although platinum catalysts on nitrogen‐doped carbon (NC) show promising MOR activity, the coupled variation between Pt and NC during synthesis obscures their individual contributions. Herein, a solid‐phase interface reaction (SIR) successfully decouples their interactions, clarifying the role of each component. We define the ripple effect as the long‐range electronic modulation induced by Pt–N coordination, which modulates the electronic state of Pt active sites in a long‐range manner and thus significantly accelerates MOR reaction kinetics. Based on this, a metal‐free catalytic promoter was developed. When combined with commercial 5 wt% Pt/C, the resulting Pt/C@NC‐6hr composite exhibits 1.67 times and twice the mass activity of 5 and 20 wt% Pt/C. Furthermore, statistical results indicate that the mass activity derived solely from the Pt on NC is 4.74 times higher than that of the original 5 wt% Pt/C catalyst, demonstrating a remarkably substantial activity enhancement. After 3600 s chronoamperometry at 0.75 V (vs. RHE), it maintains superior current density. This work elucidates the mechanism of microenvironment‐enhanced Pt catalysis via the ripple effect and offers a practical strategy for improving commercial Pt/C.