Does electrifying organic synthesis pay off? The energy efficiency of electro-organic conversions

Abstract

The electrification of organic syntheses is a vividly growing research field and has attracted tremendous attention by the chemical industry. This review highlights aspects of electrosynthesis that are rarely addressed in other articles on the topic: the energy consumption and energy efficiency of technically relevant electro-organic syntheses. Four examples on different scales are outlined. Electro-organic synthesis has experienced a renaissance within the past years. This review addresses the energy efficiency or energy demand of electrochemically driven transformations as it is a key parameter taken into account by, for example, decision makers in industry. The influential factors are illustrated that determine the energy efficiency and discussed what it takes for an electrochemical process to be classified as “energy efficient.” Typical advantages of electrosynthetic approaches are summarized and characteristic aspects regarding the efficiency of electro-organic processes, such as electric energy consumption, are defined. Technically well-implemented examples are described to illustrate the possible benefits of electrochemical approaches. Further, promising research examples are highlighted and show that the conversion of fine chemicals is rather attractive than the electrochemical generation of synthetic fuels.