Special Issue on Electrochemically-Driven Organic Synthesis

Molecular synthesis has gained considerable momentum through the impetus provided by electrochemically-enabled redox manipulation.¹ Organic electrosynthesis and electrocatalysis bear a unique potential to substantially improve molecular chemistry and provide a wide range of innovative transformations. While a first electrochemically-driven organic synthesis dates back to Kolbe's decarboxylative homocoupling in 1848,² organic electrosynthesis has remained largely underexplored. Particularly, recent years have witnessed a remarkable renaissance of electrochemically-enabled organic reactions. Pioneering contributions have during the past several years illustrated the unique opportunities that electrochemistry offers for the assembly of novel molecular structures, while improving the efficiency and sustainability of molecular synthesis. In this Special Issue, the Israelian Journal of Chemistry highlights the latest progress in this field.

Articles enclosed in this Special Issue cover overviews of important recent achievements in electrochemically driven organic synthesis as well as important original research articles on molecular organic electrosynthesis. Thus, Xu reviewed strategies that exploit ferrocene as redox catalyst, emphasizing the power towards catalyzed radical formation.³ Likewise, Onomura summarized the potential of halogen mediators for environmentally-benign and at the same time efficient alcohol oxidations.⁴ Jiao and Mei showed the power of paired electrolysis for organic reactions with ideal resource-economy,⁵ while Cheng outlined the challenges and benefits of water as a particularly benign reaction medium.⁶ Besides electrooxidative strategies, electroreductive transformations have garnered major recent attention. In this context, Weix summarized electrochemical nickel-catalyzed C−C bond formations through cross-electrophile coupling,⁷ while Gosmini provided an overview on powerful transition metal-catalyzed electroreductive approachess for C−C bond formation.⁸ On a different note, de Sarkar focused on electroreductive transformations involving C−C and C−O multiple bonds.⁹ Novel innovative concepts in the realm of organic electrosynthesis, are presented in selected research articles highlighting exciting recent advances. Here, Ruan established an electrochemical cascade cyclization for a convenient access to 3-selenylindoles,¹⁰ while Ackermann established C7-indole alkenylations based on rhodaelectrocatalysis.¹¹ The elegant design of an off/on switching enabled Kakiuchi to establish a one-pot cross-coupling/C−H bromination for bromoarylpyridines.¹² Finally, Fuchigami systematically compared the impact of the anode materials on the performance in diverse anodic transformations.¹³

© WSS, Felix Wey

Overall, the great progress in organic electrochemistry is mirrored in this Special Issue by outstanding contributions of world-leading practitioners in the field from America, Europe, and Asia, reflecting the international importance of exploiting electricity for a sustainable future. Electrochemical organic synthesis has the potential to directly contribute to numerous Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations,¹⁴ including the goals “good health and well-being, “affordable and clean energy”, “industry, innovation and infrastructure”, “responsible consumption and production”, and “climate action”. At the same time the unifying impact of electrochemistry addresses all of the twelve principles of green chemistry.¹⁵ Overall, electrochemical molecular synthesis has been recognized as uniquely powerful platform for organic chemists. Given the outstanding innovation potential of organic electrochemistry for the sustainable assembly of organic molecules, various exciting advances are expected in this rapidly evolving research arena.