A review on photo-, electro- and photoelectro- catalytic strategies for selective oxidation of alcohols

Traditional conversion of alcohols into carbonyl compounds exists a few drawbacks such as harsh reaction conditions, production of large amounts of hazardous wastes, and poor selectivity. The newly emerging conversion approaches via photo-, electro-, and photoelectro- catalysis to oxidize alcohols into high value-added corresponding carbonyl compounds as well as the possible simultaneous production of clean fuel hydrogen (H2) under mild conditions are promising to substitute the traditional approach to form greener and sustainable reaction systems and thus have aroused tremendous investigations. In this review, the state-of-the-art photocatalytic, electrocatalytic, and photoelectrocatalytic strategies for selective oxidation of different types of alcohols (aromatic and aliphatic alcohols, single alcohol, and polyols, etc.) as well as the simultaneous production of H2 in certain systems are discussed. The design of photocatalysts, electrocatalysts, and photoelectrocatalysts as well as reaction mechanism is summarized and discussed in detail. In the end, current challenges and future research directions are proposed. It is expected that this review will not only deepen the understanding of environmentally friendly catalytic systems for alcohol conversion as well as H2 production, but also enlighten significance and inspirations for the follow-up study of selective oxidation of various types of organic molecules to value-added chemicals.