Electro-organic Syntheses for Green Chemical Manufacturing
Abstract
While large-scale electrochemical manufacturing is currently practiced in processes such as chloro-alkali production or aluminum refining, significant opportunities exist to implement electrosynthesis routes more broadly for the sustainable production of organic chemicals. This article discusses green chemistry advantages of electro-organic syntheses for chemical manufacturing. Specifically, we discuss how organic electrosynthesis routes may enable the decarbonization of chemical manufacturing, how the use of electrons as products and reagents can reduce the generation of waste or the use hazardous reagents, and how the implementation of modular reactors may enable the use of non-fossil distributed chemical feedstocks or the production of chemicals on-demand. Lastly, we provide a perspective on the research and development needs to implement electrosynthesis processes at scale.