Bioelectrocatalysis for synthetic applications: Utilities and challenges

The pairing of enzymes with electrochemistry to accomplish bioelectrocatalysis enables the inherent advantages of each to be harnessed toward efficient, green synthesis of fuels, feedstocks, agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals. This article seeks to describe the current advantages of bioelectrocatalysis for synthesis applications and recent research to further expand the scope of bioelectrocatalysis. We focus on recent progress in bioelectrocatalytic cofactor regeneration, selectivity, inert bond activation under aqueous conditions and how all three can be applied in enzymatic fuel cells. We also cover the current strategies to overcome the most prominent challenges in the field, with an emphasis on enzyme stability, cascades for increasing product complexity and directed evolution.