Paired Electrolysis for Inorganic Small Molecules Reduction Coupled with Alternative Oxidation Reactions

Electrocatalytic reduction and oxidation processes offer an efficient and sustainable platform for synthesizing valuable chemicals. Particularly, coupling the cathodic reduction and anodic oxidation processes via paired electrolysis can efficiently lower the reaction overpotential as well as selectively synthesize various high-value chemicals, which has drawn ever-growing attention in recent years. Herein, the recent advancements in paired electrolysis are summarized, focusing on the reduction of inorganic small molecules including carbon dioxide, nitrogen-containing substances, and water coupled with alternative oxidation reactions. Additionally, major challenges as well as potential solutions of paired electrolysis are proposed in this review, which may provide some guidance for researchers in the future.