Sustainable Organic Electrochemistry: Earth-Abundant Metals (EAMs) in Organic Electrocatalysis

Abstract

The global shift toward sustainable chemical processes has accelerated interest in organic electrosynthesis as a green, electricity-driven alternative to traditional redox transformations. Among emerging catalytic systems, earth-abundant metals (EAMs) such as iron, nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese have garnered increasing attention as viable, low-cost, and environmentally benign substitutes for precious metals. This review highlights the latest advances in EAM-based electrocatalysts for key organic reactions, including C–C and C–heteroatom bond formations, oxidative couplings, and reductive transformations. Rather than focusing solely on the performance metrics of these systems, this work provides critical insights into the underlying mechanisms, structure-activity relationships, and electrochemical parameters that govern catalytic efficiency and selectivity. Emphasis is placed on how these insights can be harnessed to design next-generation, green catalytic systems moving beyond isolated successes toward a coherent strategy for sustainable electrosynthesis. This review further identifies key challenges, including catalyst stability, substrate generality, and energy efficiency, while exploring interdisciplinary solutions such as redox mediator integration, electrode engineering, and machine learning-aided catalyst discovery. It also considers the system-level implications of scaling EAM-based electrosynthesis for industrial applications, including the potential for coupling with renewable electricity sources and continuous-flow electroreactors. Importantly, a green chemistry roadmap is proposed highlighting actionable pathways to reduce environmental footprint, enhance atom economy, and minimize toxic byproducts. By bridging fundamental insights with applied goals, this review positions EAM-catalyzed electrosynthesis as a cornerstone technology in the transition toward decarbonized and circular chemical manufacturing. Ultimately, the work aims to move the field beyond performance reporting, toward principled, impact-driven innovation in sustainable chemistry.