Paired organic electrosynthesis: sustainability and electrode design

Organic electrosynthesis as a field has deep roots but currently has limited breadth due to a long period of domination of fossil technology. Only now, with renewable electricity accessible, there is renewed innovation and progress linked to new types of reactions and processes. Although production of hydrogen or syngas by electrochemistry followed by traditional bulk-scale reactions (thermal but electricity-driven) is an option, there are many more opportunities to benefit, for example, from radical intermediates, electrocatalysis, paired electrolysis, coupled electrode processes, and new electrode/reactor types. This chapter attempts to link sustainability to recent new ideas for innovation in electroorganic processes, reactors, and electrodes such as interdigitated microband arrays.