Directing electrochemical asymmetric synthesis at heterogeneous interfaces: Past, present, and challenges

A challenging goal in synthetic organic chemistry for decades has been the enantioselective C–C, C–O, or C–H bond formation in pharmaceuticals, natural products, and other industrially relevant compounds. Electrochemical synthetic routes are broadly recognized to be advantageous, as they involve green chemistry processes and occur under mild conditions. The field of electrochemical asymmetric synthesis has begun in the 1960s, yet progress is relatively slow. This review aims to overview the published studies on electrochemical asymmetric synthesis and offer insightful perspectives to boost new ideas and innovations in the field. We first lay out the methodologies of electrode functionalization with various chiral molecules. We then describe recent studies on electrochemical asymmetric synthesis using electrodes with chiral surfaces or using electrolytes containing chiral surfactants, solvents, or catalysts. Next, related reaction mechanisms are extensively discussed. Lastly, potential research directions for the design of efficient electrochemical asymmetric synthesis are proposed.