Molecular Electrocatalytic Hydrogenation of Carbonyls and Dehydrogenation of Alcohols

The development of safe and energy efficient redox processes is key for a future sustainable organic chemistry and energy storage/vector applications. Molecular electrocatalysts have demonstrated their potential in the realm of CO2 reduction, however, successful implementations for the reduction of other carbonyl groups remain sporadic. Building on the reversibility of hydrogenation and dehydrogenation of carbonyls and alcohols, an overview of current molecular electrocatalytic systems is presented. Key mechanistic concepts are emphasized to facilitate the link with more mature schemes in transfer hydrogenation, proton- and CO2-reduction. Thus, this work contributes to future catalyst generation development bridging fundamental aspects of electrochemical bond activation with molecular catalytic concepts in the context of societal challenges of today.