Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-supported Pd4Ru2 synergistically promote electrocatalytic oxidation of ethylene glycol

[Display omitted] •PEDOT supports well-dispersed Pd4Ru2 bimetal.•Addition of the oxophilic metal Ru modulates the interfacial electronic structure of Pd.•The metal-carrier effect between Pd4Ru2 and PEDOT enhances the electron transfer kinetics of EGOR. Direct ethylene glycol fuel cells (DEGFCs) necessitate cost-effective and efficient electrocatalyst toward oxidation of ethylene glycol (EG) to overcome the challenges associated with sluggish anodic oxidation reaction kinetics. Herein, Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) granules support well-dispersed Ru-doped Pd electrocatalysts (PdRu/PEDOT) were synthesized. The optimized Pd4Ru2/PEDOT demonstrates exceptional electrocatalytic performance toward alkaline EG oxidation reaction (EGOR) electrocatalysis, achieving the mass activity of 4141.8 mA mgPd-1. The exceptional catalytic activity stems from the three-dimensional porous structure of Pd4Ru2/PEDOT, which presents abundant active sites and kinetically accelerates electron/reactant transport within its mesoporous architecture. In addition, the results of long-term cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry (CA) tests demonstrate that Pd4Ru2/PEDOT exhibits superior catalytic durability and anti-poisoning capabilities, attributable to the synergistic effect between the electron-rich conjugated structure of PEDOT and the presence of both Pd and Ru. This study offers novel insights into the development of electrocatalysts for DEGFCs.