Zinc Battery Driven by an Electro-Organic Reactor Cathode

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.