Tailoring the oxidation of benzyl alcohol and its derivatives with (photo)electrocatalysis

Abstract

The electrochemical oxidation of alcohol molecules has gained significance as a key anode reaction, offering an alternative to the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) for hydrogen (H₂) production and carbon dioxide (CO₂) reduction. The (photo)electrochemical oxidation of benzyl alcohol and its derivatives serves as an important model system, not only because benzyl alcohol oxidation is a critical industrial process, but also because it offers valuable insights into electrocatalytic biomass conversion. Tailoring this reaction through electrochemical and photoelectrochemical methods using heterogeneous noble and transition metal electrocatalysts presents a green approach and the potential for uncovering new reaction mechanisms. This review article positions the electrochemical oxidation of benzyl alcohol as an alternative to the OER to produce H₂, highlighting recent mechanistic studies involving noble and transition metal electrocatalysts. Furthermore, we discuss the electronic substituent effects on this reaction, which have been well-explored in organic oxidation pathways but remain underexplored in (photo)electrocatalytic contexts.