The global shift toward sustainable chemical processes has accelerated interest in organic electrosynthesis as a green, electricity-driven alternative to traditional redox transformations. Among emerging catalytic systems, Earth-abundant metals (EAMs) such as iron, nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese have garnered increasing attention as viable, low-cost, and environmentally benign substitutes for precious metals. This review highlights the latest advances in EAM-based electrocatalysts for key organic reactions, including C–C and C–heteroatom bond formations, oxidative couplings, and reductive transformations. Rather than focusing solely on the performance metrics of these systems, this work provides critical insights into the underlying mechanisms, structure–activity relationships, and electrochemical parameters that govern catalytic efficiency and selectivity. Emphasis is placed on how these insights can be harnessed to design next-generation, green catalytic systems moving beyond isolated successes toward a coherent strategy for sustainable electrosynthesis. This review further identifies key challenges, including catalyst stability, substrate generality, and energy efficiency, while exploring interdisciplinary solutions such as redox mediator integration, electrode engineering, and machine learning-aided catalyst discovery. It also considers the system-level implications of scaling EAM-based electrosynthesis for industrial applications, including the potential for coupling with renewable electricity sources and continuous-flow electroreactors. Importantly, a green chemistry roadmap is proposed, highlighting actionable pathways to reduce environmental footprint, enhance atom economy, and minimize toxic byproducts. By bridging fundamental insights with applied goals, this review positions EAM-catalyzed electrosynthesis as a cornerstone technology in the transition toward decarbonized and circular chemical manufacturing. Ultimately, the work aims to move the field beyond performance reporting, toward principled, impact-driven innovation in sustainable chemistry.

Electrochemical cyanation and azidation have emerged as powerful and sustainable strategies for C-N bond formation, offering safer and cleaner alternatives to classical methods that rely on toxic cyanide salts or hazardous oxidants. This review highlights recent mechanistic advances across metal-free systems, electrogenerated bases, and earth-abundant Cu/Mn catalytic platforms. Unified radical and ionic pathways are analyzed, including anodic generation of CN center dot/CN-and N3 center dot species, high-valent Cu(III)/Mn(III) redox cycles, and radical relay mechanisms enabling selective C(sp2/sp3) functionalization. Electrochemical activation offers clear environmental advantages, including high atom economy, reduced waste, minimized risk, and energy-efficient operation are critically discussed. Together, these developments establish electrochemical cyanation and azidation as versatile, scalable, and green technologies for constructing high-value nitriles and azides.

Correction for ‘Enhanced environmental remediation through hybrid adsorption-photocatalysis using ZnO/TiO 2 -CaAlg composite catalysts’ by Nesrine Ammouchi et al. , RSC Adv. , 2026, 16 , 8226–8242, https://doi.org/10.1039/D5RA09465H.

Due to the toxic, carcinogenic, and environmentally persistent nature of dyes such as crystal violet, water pollution resulting from industrial dye discharges has become a critical global environmental issue. This study investigates a hybrid approach to address water pollution by integrating adsorption and advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) using ZnO/TiO2-CaAlg as a catalyst. Sodium alginate, a naturally occurring biopolymer, was employed as the support matrix for the catalyst, taking advantage of its hydrophilic nature, biocompatibility, and ability to form strong electrostatic interactions with cationic dyes. Key parameters such as dye concentration, catalyst dosage, hydrogen peroxide volume, and solution pH were optimized to maximize degradation efficiency. Both individual and combined processes were evaluated to assess the synergistic effects on dye removal. The stability and reusability of the catalyst were evaluated, demonstrating its potential as a scalable and environmentally sustainable solution for wastewater treatment. The findings underscore the potential of ZnO/TiO2-CaAlg catalysts in mitigating persistent organic pollutants, contributing to the development of advanced treatment methods for environmental remediation.

Noble metal-catalyzed C–H activation has transformed synthetic methodology by enabling direct modification of inert C–H bonds with high levels of efficiency, selectivity, and functional group tolerance. This mini-review provides a focused overview of the mechanistic foundations and emerging advances in C–H functionalization mediated by ruthenium, iridium, rhodium and palladium catalysts. Key activation modes including oxidative addition, concerted metalation deprotonation (CMD), and electrophilic pathways are discussed alongside the roles of high-valent intermediates and ligand control in determining reactivity and regioselectivity. Special emphasis is placed on recent electrochemical strategies, where anodic oxidation replaces traditional chemical oxidants, granting access to unique redox manifolds and expanding the scope of C–C, C–N, C–O, and C–X bond-forming reactions. Representative transformations highlight the versatility of noble metals in constructing heterocycles, enabling enantioselective processes, and facilitating late-stage functionalization of complex molecules. Current challenges and future perspectives are outlined, including the need for improved nondirected activation, deeper mechanistic insight, and enhanced scalability. Collectively, this review underscores the central role of noble metals in advancing sustainable and innovative C–H functionalization chemistry.

Wireless bipolar electrochemistry (BPE) has emerged as a powerful platform for organic electrosynthesis, enabling redox transformations on electrically floating conductors without direct electrical wiring. Through electric-field-induced polarization, bipolar electrodes simultaneously promote spatially separated oxidation and reduction reactions, offering unique opportunities for reaction design, miniaturized reactor architectures, parallel processing, and sustainable chemical synthesis. Recent years have witnessed significant advances in both exogenous and endogenous bipolar electrochemical systems, expanding the scope of wireless electrosynthesis to asymmetric transformations, flow chemistry, low-electrolyte conditions, autonomous microreactors, and selfpropelled electrochemical systems. This perspective review critically examines the fundamental principles governing bipolar electrochemistry, recent developments in organic synthesis, and emerging diagnostic methodologies, including split bipolar electrodes and electrochemiluminescence-based imaging, which have substantially improved mechanistic understanding of charge transport, polarization phenomena, and reaction control. The advantages and limitations of wireless bipolar systems are evaluated in comparison with conventional electrolysis, highlighting challenges associated with reaction selectivity, scalability, energy efficiency, and quantitative electrochemical characterization. Finally, future opportunities involving advanced materials, operando analytical techniques, artificial intelligence-assisted optimization, and continuous-flow processing are discussed. Collectively, these developments position wireless bipolar electrochemistry as a promising enabling technology for next-generation sustainable electrosynthesis and autonomous electrochemical manufacturing.

Electrogenerated bases (EGBs) are emerging as powerful and sustainable tools in modern synthetic chemistry, offering cleaner alternatives to traditional stoichiometric bases. This review highlights the fundamental principles of EGB formation and explores their expanding role in enabling diverse and selective organic transformations such as alkylation, trifluoromethylation, Steven’s rearrangement, Wittig reaction, esterification, addition reactions, anionic chain reactions, macrolide formation reactions, polymerization, C—H deprotonation and functionalization, condensation reactions, and elelctrocarboxylation etc. EGBs efficiently activate substrates bearing labile protons, facilitating the formation of reactive intermediates that can participate in key bond-forming reactions—including the synthesis of heterocycles, fluorinated compounds, and valuable intermediates in pharmaceuticals and materials science. Beyond expanding synthetic capabilities, EGBs enhance both regio- and stereoselectivity, contributing to higher reaction precision. While batch electrolysis has been the dominant platform, recent advances in flow electrochemistry offer significant benefits, including improved control, safety, and scalability. Innovations such as “ex-cell” reactor designs—where oxidation and reduction are spatially separated—further increase efficiency and reduce undesired side reactions. Importantly, the choice of green-compatible conditions, including electrode materials (e.g., magnesium), solvents, and electrolytes, greatly influences EGB performance and sustainability. As electrochemical methods continue to evolve, EGBs stand at the intersection of synthetic innovation and green chemistry, offering scalable, selective, and environmentally responsible solutions for future molecular design. However, despite their practicality, the use of electrogenerated bases in organic transformations is frequently limited by various factors such as narrow substrate tolerance, electrode material compatibility, sensitivity to reaction conditions, and the requirement for specialized electrochemical setups.

Electrochemical synthesis is a safe,mild and environmentally friendly alternative to chemical oxidants and reductants.It uses electricity to catalyze redox reactions.However,understanding the tools and techniques involved is crucial for maximizing its benefits in academic and industrial applications.Still,for a novice,electrosynthesis can be a somewhat intimidating.Therefore,we provide guidance to syn-thetic chemists by highlighting key concepts and offering practical tips.In this review article,we focus on the utilization of electro-auxiliaries,indirect electrosynthesis,alternating electrode electrolysis(AEE),microreactors for electrochemical processes,and paired electrochemical reactions.These strategies are illustrated with selected examples.The use of electrodes and electroanalytical methods such as cyclic voltammetry are discussed.It highlights the advantages of merging electrochemistry and photochemistry,and the challenges of specific organic solvents and electrolytes.The incorporation of electrochemistry into a continuous chemical flow system further advances green activation technologies in terms of efficiency,applicability,sustainability,and selectivity to deliver more efficient and cleaner synthetic processes.Fur-thermore,this manuscript also emphasizes improvements in current approaches and future directions for large-scale electrosynthesis.

Electrogenerated bases (EGBs) are emerging as powerful and sustainable tools in synthetic chemistry, offering cleaner and more efficient alternatives to traditional stoichiometric bases. This Review outlines the fundamental principles of EGB formation and explores their expanding role in enabling diverse and selective organic transformations, including alkylations, trifluoromethylations, Stevens rearrangements, Wittig reactions, esterifications, additions, anionic chain reactions, macrolide formation, polymerizations, C–H deprotonations and functionalizations, condensation reactions, and electrocarboxylation. EGBs efficiently activate substrates bearing labile protons, facilitating the generation of reactive intermediates for key bond-forming steps. These methods enable access to heterocycles, fluorinated compounds, and valuable intermediates relevant to pharmaceutical and materials science. Beyond expanding the synthetic scope, EGBs enhance regio- and stereoselectivity, contributing to greater reaction precision. While batch electrolysis has been widely used, advances in flow electrochemistry offer improved control, safety, and scalability. Innovations such as “ex-cell” reactor designs, where oxidation and reduction steps are spatially separated, further improve efficiency and minimize side reactions. The use of environmentally benign materials─such as electrodes (e.g., magnesium), green solvents, and sustainable electrolytes─significantly influences both performance and sustainability. Despite these advantages, challenges remain including limited substrate tolerance, sensitivity to reaction conditions, and the requirement for specialized electrochemical equipment.

The global shift toward sustainable chemical processes has accelerated interest in organic electrosynthesis as a green, electricity-driven alternative to traditional redox transformations. Among emerging catalytic systems, earth-abundant metals (EAMs) such as iron, nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese have garnered increasing attention as viable, low-cost, and environmentally benign substitutes for precious metals. This review highlights the latest advances in EAM-based electrocatalysts for key organic reactions, including C–C and C–heteroatom bond formations, oxidative couplings, and reductive transformations. Rather than focusing solely on the performance metrics of these systems, this work provides critical insights into the underlying mechanisms, structure-activity relationships, and electrochemical parameters that govern catalytic efficiency and selectivity. Emphasis is placed on how these insights can be harnessed to design next-generation, green catalytic systems moving beyond isolated successes toward a coherent strategy for sustainable electrosynthesis. This review further identifies key challenges, including catalyst stability, substrate generality, and energy efficiency, while exploring interdisciplinary solutions such as redox mediator integration, electrode engineering, and machine learning-aided catalyst discovery. It also considers the system-level implications of scaling EAM-based electrosynthesis for industrial applications, including the potential for coupling with renewable electricity sources and continuous-flow electroreactors. Importantly, a green chemistry roadmap is proposed highlighting actionable pathways to reduce environmental footprint, enhance atom economy, and minimize toxic byproducts. By bridging fundamental insights with applied goals, this review positions EAM-catalyzed electrosynthesis as a cornerstone technology in the transition toward decarbonized and circular chemical manufacturing. Ultimately, the work aims to move the field beyond performance reporting, toward principled, impact-driven innovation in sustainable chemistry.

Correction for ‘C–H bond cyanation: electrochemical synthesis of phenylbenzimidoyl cyanide derivatives’ by Najoua Sbei et al. , Org. Biomol. Chem. , 2025, 23 , 4917–4921, https://doi.org/10.1039/d5ob00522a.

The application of electricity in chemical processes represents a sustainable technology for the future. This green activation mode derives from renewable energy sources (such as solar, wind, and hydropower), safeguarding resources by being less polluting and utilizing less materials. C-H bond functionalisation is one of the most powerful synthetic methods for forging molecular complexity to access valuable chemicals in a single step transformation. Herein, an electrochemical C-H bond cyanation of imine derivatives under electrochemical reaction conditions has been developed. This is a new, simple, fast and non-toxic way for the direct cyanation of imine derivatives. Acetonitrile was found to be a new and effective cyanation reagent under catalyst-free electrochemical conditions. The cyanation protocol can be applied to diverse substrates including substituted and unsubstituted imine derivatives. The electrochemical method has been carried out in an undivided cell at constant current at 0 °C for 1 h using a Carbon rod as cathode and a magnesium plate as anode.

The current work investigated the interaction of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) with glycine, tyrosine, methionine and phenylalanine. (ZnO)12 cage-like cluster was modeled using the density functional theory to determine the adsorption energy, the preferred sites for adsorption of amino acids, and the electronic structure of the formed complexes. The findings suggest that pure amino acids interact with (ZnO)12 via a chemisorption process. The thermodynamic parameters computed showed that the complexation is an exothermic process and enthalpy-driven. The oxygen atoms in the carboxyl groups of the four studied amino acids are involved in the adsorption process. PHE_Zn12O12 exhibits the highest adsorption energy (− 207.50 kJ/mol) due to its interaction with the Zn12O12 nanocluster through two different adsorption sites. The electronic and sensing properties were examined by analyzing the HOMO and LUMO energies and the HOMO–LUMO energy gap (|ΔEg|). The sensitivity of Zn12O12 nanocluster toward the studied amino acids was examined by comparing the percentage variation of the gap after the adsorption, which can reach the value of 38

This study presents a newly developed, highly efficient heterogeneous iron-based catalyst (Fe-CY), supported on treated bentonite clay (CY), designed for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye. The bentonite clay underwent a two-stage treatment involving physical and chemical processes to produce the designated treated clay (CY), which served as the support material for Fe-CY catalyst preparation using the wet impregnation technique. Subsequently, the performance of the resulting catalyst was assessed in a photo-Fenton reaction aimed at degrading MB dye under both solar and microwave irradiation conditions. To determine the optimal decolorization conditions, several variables, including catalyst dosage, H2O2 quantity, pH, and initial MB concentration in the reaction system, were systematically investigated. Miscellaneous characterization techniques were employed to assess the support, and prepared catalyst. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to determine crystallinity, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to analyze morphological structure, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to identify surface functional groups, energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis for the purpose of elemental analysis, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) for analyzing the textural properties. The experimental findings highlight the remarkable effectiveness of the catalyst in degrading methylene blue (MB). Upon exposure to sunlight and microwave irradiation, the catalyst achieved substantial MB color removal rates of 99.5% and 95.5% within 180 and 8 min, respectively. Moreover, the stability of the catalyst was evaluated across three consecutive cycles, revealing a sustained removal efficiency of 83.05%. Finally, a comprehensive investigation into the mechanism behind methylene blue (MB) removal was conducted, revealing insights into the unique catalytic properties of the Fe-clay catalyst.

A density functional theory (DFT) investigation was performed to elucidate the interaction mechanisms between boric acid (BA) and various macrocyclic host molecules. The calculated complexation energies were negative, indicating that these interactions are energetically favorable. Structural analyses revealed the formation of hydrogen bonds, particularly between BA and the hosts β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), pillar[5]arene (P[5]), and pyrogallol[5]arene (P[5]G). Notably, the hydroxyl groups (OH) of BA played a crucial role in establishing intermolecular hydrogen bonds, which significantly enhanced the stability of the BA/β-CD and BA/P[5] complexes, as confirmed by natural bond orbital (NBO) and intermolecular Gradient model based on Hirshfeld partition (IGMH) analyses. Furthermore, the calculated HOMO–LUMO energy gaps for the BA/β-CD, BA/P[5], and BA/P[5]G complexes were found to be larger than those of the individual hosts, indicating a kinetically stable systems. The studied host systems demonstrate potential for enhancing the bioavailability of boric acid and reducing its toxicity through effective host–guest recognition.

In this investigation, the potential use of native β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) as encapsulating agents for trichloroethylene (TCE) was assessed. Various quantum chemical parameters, including HOMO, LUMO, and HOMO–LUMO gap, were calculated. The docking process was examined by considering different initial configurations. The complexation energies were calculated at the molecular level using DFT/BLYP-D4 and PBEh-3c calculations to gain insight into TCE encapsulation within the β-CD and HP-β-CD cavities. We used the independent gradient model (IGM) and extended charge decomposition analysis (ECDA) approaches to examine non-covalent interactions and charge transfer within TCE@β-CD and TCE@HP-β-CD complexes. The calculated thermodynamic data and complexation energies exhibited negative values for both considered complexes, indicating a favorable complexation process. Weak Van der Waals intermolecular interactions were the main driving forces in stabilizing the formed complex. Additionally, Monte Carlo simulations were conducted for a better understanding of the inclusion process. Our results provide evidence for the use of β-CD and HP-β-CD as suitable macrocyclic hosts for complexing trichloroethylene.

The work presented in this paper describes the preparation and the electrochemical application of functionalized chitosan-entrapped carbon paste electrodes (CH/CPE) for lead ions (Pb2+) detection in industrial wastewater. The chitosan was first functionalized using TiO2 and CuO, which were both metal oxides that were obtained by extracting it from waste products derived from shrimp shells. The analytical performance of the as-prepared electrodes, CH/CPE, TiO2-CH/CPE, and NiO-CH/CPE, for the detection of lead (II) was examined using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) technique in the 0.1 M KNO3 electrolyte solution. The effect of experimental conditions, including polarization potential, frequency, and pH, are optimized to maximize the sensitivity of the measurements. The developed impedimetric sensors provided a linear response over a concentration range of 10−6 to 10−4 M with a detection limit of 3.10−7 M based on S/N = 3. The DFT computational analysis demonstrated that chitosan biopolymer possesses the ability to adsorb Pb (II) ions that are present in wastewater. Chitosan and the derivatives of chitosan, have the potential to remove heavy metals from industrial effluent in a manner that is both economical and eco-friendly to the environment. Chitosan is a biopolymer that is abundantly renewable.

Numerous applications in the realm of biological exploration and drug synthesis can be found in heterocyclic chemistry, which is a vast subject. Many efforts have been developed to further improve the reaction conditions to access this interesting family to prevent employing hazardous ingredients. In this instance, it has been stated that green and environmentally friendly manufacturing methodologies have been introduced to create N-, S-, and O-heterocycles. It appears to be one of the most promising methods to access these types of compounds avoiding use of stoichiometric amounts of oxidizing/reducing species or precious metal catalysts, in which only catalytic amounts are sufficient, and it represent an ideal way of contributing toward the resource economy. Thus, renewable electricity provides clean electrons (oxidant/reductant) that initiate a reaction cascade via producing reactive intermediates that facilitate in building new bonds for valuable chemical transformations. Moreover, electrochemical activation using metals as catalytic mediators has been identified as a more efficient strategy toward selective functionalization. Thus, indirect electrolysis makes the potential range more practical, and less side reactions can occur. The latest developments in using an electrolytic strategy to create N-, S-, and O-heterocycles are the main topic of this mini review, which was documented over the last five years.

Due to their detrimental and carcinogenic effects, synthetic organic dyes pose significant environmental and health risks. Consequently, addressing the bioremediation of industrial wastewater containing these organic dyes has become an urgent environmental concern. The adsorption using low-cost and green materials is one of the best alternative techniques for the removal of dyes. This study aims to investigate the use of chitin to eliminate Congo red (CR), an anionic dye, from wastewater. The chitin was produced from shrimp shell in a quick and environmentally friendly manner by utilizing a co-solvent (glycerol/citric acid (GLC)). The resulting adsorbent was characterized through various techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and FT-IR spectroscopy. The effectiveness of CR removal with chitin was studied with respect to contact time, adsorbent dose, initial pH, equilibrium isotherms, and kinetic and thermodynamic parameters. It was observed that variations in the dye concentration and pH significantly influenced the removal of CR with chitin. Under optimal operating conditions (pH = 7, contact time = 130 min, temperature = 50 °C), the adsorption capacity reached 29.69 ± 0.2 mg/g. The experimental data revealed that CR adsorption onto a chitin adsorbent is better represented by a Langmuir isotherm.

In conventional methods, C−H activations are largely involved in the use of stoichiometric amounts of toxic and expensive metal & chemical oxidants, conceding the overall sustainable nature. Meanwhile, undesired byproducts are generated, that is problematic in the scale up process. However, electrochemical C−H activation via catalyst control strategy using metals as mediators (instead electrochemical substrate control strategy) has been identified as a more efficient strategy toward selective functionalizations. Thus, indirect electrolysis makes the potential range more pleasant, and less side reactions can occur. Herein, we summarize the metallaelectrocatalysis process for activations of inert C−H bonds and functionalization. These Metalla-electrocatalyzed C−H bond functionalizations are presented in term of C−C and C−X (X = O, N, P and halogens) bonds formation. The electrooxidative C−H transformations in the presence of metal catalysts are described by better chemoselectivities with broad tolerance of sensitive functionalities. Moreover, in the future to enhance sustainability and green chemistry concerns, integration of metalla-electrocatalysis with flow and photochemistry will enable safe and efficient scale-up and may even improve reaction times, kinetics and yields.