Throwing light on synthetic molecular photoelectrocatalysis (part I): Coupling both techniques and results interpretation

The conjunction of organic electrosynthesis (OES) and photoredox catalysis (PRC), coined as molecular photoelectrocatalysis (M-PEC), allows the generation of highly reducing/oxidizing species. Albeit short-lived, these species activate molecules to construct synthetically valuable intermediates with an energy requirement that would normally be out of the reach of PRC or OES alone. Nevertheless, it is not easy to do so efficiently, as PRC and OES have their own experimental challenges, and coupling both techniques adds even more complexity. Several authors have enthusiastically accepted the challenge of maneuvering through that complexity in the laboratory. This first part discusses the experiments used in fundamental studies on M-PEC, focusing on how valuable information is obtained through analytical techniques, and its use to favor the M-PEC reaction performance. This data lead to a better understanding of these reactions and increase the probability of success in synthetic applications.