Electrosynthesis of Bioactive Chemicals, From Ions to Pharmaceuticals

Electrosynthesis offers a sustainable and precise approach for producing bioactive chemicals using electrons as clean reagents. This review highlights recent advances in electrosynthetic strategies for biomedical and pharmaceutical applications, emphasizing the role of functional materials. In the biomedical domain, the electrosynthesis of bioactive ion species such as calcium, potassium, and magnesium ions, along with small biomolecules including nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, and reactive oxygen species, is examined. Functional electrocatalysts integrated with wearable and implantable devices enable spatiotemporal delivery of bioactive chemicals, modulating cellular activity and treating diseases such as inflammation, vascular dysfunction, and cancer. In pharmaceutical synthesis, electrode materials and catalytic systems that enable selective electrochemical transformations critical for synthesizing complex drug molecules are focused on. Direct electrolysis, redox mediation, dual-electrocatalysis, paired electrolysis, and pulsed or alternating-current methods that promote key bond-forming reactions for pharmaceutical ingredients, including Kolbe-type decarboxylative coupling and trifluoromethylation are discussed. The review outlines design principles for modular and scalable electrosynthesis platforms that connect molecular precision with large-scale production. Finally, challenges in this field, including material stability in physiological environments, reaction scope, and clinical and industrial translation, are identified. This review aims to guide the development of next-generation electrosynthetic systems for precision medicine and sustainable pharmaceutical synthesis.