Non-covalent Interactions for Redox Potential Modulation in Organic Electrosynthesis

Abstract

Organic electrosynthesis has recently emerged as an indispensable tool in the green synthesis toolbox. In electrochemical synthesis, two key issues require special attention: First, it is desirable to lower the redox potentials of substrates to ensure good selectivity and functional group compatibility. Second, regarding constant current electrolysis, it is crucial to increase the redox potential gap between substrates and their corresponding products to prevent over-oxidation or over-reduction, thereby enhancing reaction selectivity. Non-covalent interactions (e.g., hydrogen bond, halogen bond, ion pairing) provide an effective strategy to achieve these goals. In this Feature Article, we review representative examples demonstrating the application of non-covalent interactions in organic electrosynthesis. Finally, we discuss the remaining challenges and future prospects in this field.