Restructured Three-Coordinated Ni─Se Catalytic Sites for Enhanced Cross-Condensation of Methanol and Ethanol

The cross-condensation of methanol (MeOH) and ethanol (EtOH) offers a promising, carbon-neutral pathway for the production of higher alcohols (HAS) from both CO₂ and biomass resources. However, this process is often hampered by the low efficiency of C₅₊ alcohol (C₅₊OH) synthesis, high catalyst production costs, and limited water tolerance. Here, we report for the first time a low-cost, high-performance Ni-based catalyst synthesized via a precise surface selenization protocol that effectively overcomes these limitations. The optimized catalyst significantly outperforms noble metal catalysts, achieving a total alcohol yield of 62.6% and a high selectivity of 83.8% for HAS (62.0% for C₅₊OH) in the cross-condensation of MeOH and EtOH. Our characterizations and theoretical simulations indicate that Se doping restructures the Ni surface, creating three-coordinated Ni─Se sites. These sites promote efficient alcohol dehydrogenation and raise the energy barrier for aldehyde decomposition, thereby greatly increasing the efficiency and selectivity of MeOH and EtOH cross-condensation to C₅₊OH.