Photoelectrocatalytic organic synthesis: a versatile method for the green production of building-block chemicals

Abstract

The rising energy crisis and environmental problems are urging the development of more sustainable organic synthetic methods. Photoelectrocatalytic organic synthesis (PECOS) is emerging as an attractive strategy because it utilizes solar power to drive the organic synthesis and can greatly reduce the dependency on fossil fuels. Recently, a variety of organic reactions have been successfully realized using this strategy by rationally designing the photoelectrode and carefully tuning the reaction conditions. In this review, we introduce and categorize the recent advances in PECOS based on their specific reaction types, ranging from photoanode-mediated alcohol oxidation, C-H functionalization, furan oxidation, and sulfide oxidation, to (photo) cathode-mediated in situ H2O2 generation, cofactor regeneration, and the functionalization of aryl halides. The material of the photoelectrode, the reaction conditions of PECOS, and the proposed mechanism will be highlighted during the introduction of each example. Finally, we conclude by providing some perspectives on the future direction of PECOS.