Enantioselective electrocatalytic oxidation of racemic alcohols on a TEMPO-modified graphite felt electrode by use of chiral base (TEMPO equals 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-yloxyl)

The S-isomers of four racemic sec-alcohols, which possess a chiral centre at the alpha-position to the hydroxy group, were oxidized to the corresponding ketones whereas the R-isomers remained unreacted on a TEMPO-modified graphite-felt electrode in the presence of (-)-sparteine, where the enantiopurity of the remaining R-isomers was >99% and the current efficiency for the produced ketones was >90%.