AJ’s paper introduces and demonstrates use of a novel liquid diffusion electrode reactor design that enables the electrooxidation of pure cyclohexene, using water as the oxygen source. This design allows for the reaction of two immiscible liquids at an engineered electrode interface, forgoing the need for cosolvents that are necessary in single phase electroorganic reactions, as well as facilitating opportunities for enhanced product separation. Overall, this work demonstrates and characterizes the capabilities of a liquid diffusion electrode reactor that is applicable for a wide range of organic oxidation reactions, enabling a new paradigm of organic electrocatalysis. Congratulations AJ!
This publication was submitted in response to an invitation for inclusion in the ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering Emerging Investigators Special Issue!