Zinc Battery Driven by an Electro-Organic Reactor Cathode

Abstract

Synthesis of organic molecules by utilizing the principles of electrochemistry satisfies 9 out of the 12 postulates of green chemistry, conferring electrochemical synthetic methodologies with clean, safe, and green tags. However, electro-organic synthesis is a heterogeneous interfacial reaction demanding significant driving force in terms of voltage or current. Here, we demonstrate an unusual route for electro-organic synthesis during electricity generation in a battery, where the positive half-cell is designed to function as an organic reactor generating useful chemicals and fuel molecules. The proposed electro-organic synthesizer Zn battery couples organic synthesis with power production during discharge chemistry, thereby demonstrating its tremendous potential in the sustainable energy landscape.