Issue 59, 2024

Electrocatalytic water-to-oxygenates conversion: redox-mediated versus direct oxygen transfer

Abstract

Electrocatalytic oxygenation of hydrocarbons with high selectivity has attracted much attention for its advantages in the sustainable and controllable production of oxygenated compounds with reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Especially when utilizing water as an oxygen source, by constructing a water-to-oxygenates conversion system at the anode, the environment and/or energy costs of producing oxygenated compounds and hydrogen energy can be significantly reduced. There is a broad consensus that the generation and transformation of oxygen species are among the decisive factors determining the overall efficiency of oxygenation reactions. Thus, it is necessary to elucidate the oxygen transfer process to suggest more efficient strategies for electrocatalytic oxygenation. Herein, we introduce oxygen transfer routes through redox-mediated pathways or direct oxygen transfer methods. Especially for the scarcely investigated direct oxygen transfer at the anode, we aim to detail the strategies of catalyst design targeting the efficient oxygen transfer process including activation of organic substrate, generation/adsorption of oxygen species, and transformation of oxygen species for oxygenated compounds. Based on these examples, the significance of balancing the generation and transformation of oxygen species, tuning the states of organic substrates and intermediates, and accelerating electron transfer for organic activation for direct oxygen transfer has been elucidated. Moreover, greener organic synthesis routes through heteroatom transfer and molecular fragment transfer are anticipated beyond oxygen transfer.

Graphical abstract: Electrocatalytic water-to-oxygenates conversion: redox-mediated versus direct oxygen transfer

Article information

Article type
Highlight
Submitted
24 apr 2024
Accepted
19 iyn 2024
First published
20 iyn 2024

Chem. Commun., 2024,60, 7523-7534

Electrocatalytic water-to-oxygenates conversion: redox-mediated versus direct oxygen transfer

B. Leng, X. Lin, J. Chen and X. Li, Chem. Commun., 2024, 60, 7523 DOI: 10.1039/D4CC01960A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements